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265 Ark. 480

In re Williams

Supreme Court of Arkansas

Decided April 9, 1979

Supreme Court of Arkansas · decided 1979-04-09

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently May 2000

3 state decisions

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Decided 1979-04-09

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PER CURIAM.

¶1It appears to the court that:

¶2This court accepted the surrender of the license of Wayne R. Williams to practice law in the State of Arkansas upon his petition and the recommendation of the Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct, upon conditions set out in a per curiam order entered July 19, 1976, viz:

Accordingly, we deem it appropriate to accept surrender of petitioner’s license for a two-year period, but this does not mean petitioner will be automatically reinstated at the end of this period. Petitioner will only be readmitted upon a satisfactory showing to the Board of Law Examiners that his character and integrity are such that he deserves readmittance. Another condition of the suspension is that petitioner refrain from assisting any other attorney engaged in the practice of law and from accepting employment by any other attorney in any capacity whatever during the term of his suspension. The burden of proof shall rest upon petitioner in making those showings to the Board of Law Examiners.

¶3The State Board of Law Examiners has certified that it has conducted a hearing as a result of which it found:

(a) that Wayne R. Williams has satisfactorily shown that his character and integrity are such that he deserves readmission; and,
(b) that Wayne R. Williams has refrained from assisting any attorney engaged in the practice of law and has not accepted employment from any attorney in any capacity during the term of his suspension.

¶4It is therefore ordered that Wayne R. Williams be readmitted to the practice of law and that his license to do so be reissued.

Harris, C.J., and Byrd and Hickman, JJ., dissent.
Carleton Harris, Chief Justice,

¶5dissenting. The Committee order entered when Mr. Williams surrendered his license provided that petitioner will not be automatically reinstated at the end of the two year period, but “will only be readmitted upon a satisfactory showing to the Board of Law Examiners that his character and integrity are such that he deserves readmittance”.

¶6Since this court has the final responsibility, I likewise feel that this language is properly interpreted to the effect that the showing must also be satisfactory to the members of this court.

¶7While I have every confidence in the members of the Committee, and normally accept their findings, there are still, to me, some matters wherein the investigation failed to establish to my satisfaction that Williams should be reinstated at this time.

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