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CONTACT PERSON:
VALERIE WILLARD
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER (LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT)
(504) 310-2590
| FEBRUARY
1, 2005 |
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
By order of the
Louisiana Supreme Court, James R. Dagate, Michael S. Walsh,
Charles C. Beard and Martin Louis Chehotsky have been appointed
to the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board, commencing January
1, 2005 and concluding on December 31, 2007. They join reappointed
Board members attorneys Wanda Anderson Davis and Louisiana
State Bar Associate representative Arlene Knighton to complete
the 14 member Board.
The Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board, which was established
by the Supreme Court of Louisiana in 1990, is tasked with
the responsibility of investigating all allegations of lawyer
misconduct and with the responsibility of making recommendations
to the Court when discipline is warranted. The agency consists
of a statewide board, hearing committees, disciplinary counsel
and administrative staff. The new members are:
Nominated by Justice John Weimer, newly appointed Attorney-at-Large
board member James Dagate has practiced law for 26 years,
is a certified mediator, serves as an Assistant District Attorney
for the 32nd Judicial District Court, and has served as a
member and past chairman of the Attorney Disciplinary Hearing
Committee. Additionally, he is the past president of the Terrebonne
Parish Bar Association. According to Justice Weimer, “Dagate
has a wide variety of legal experience that comes with serving
clients in a small law firm. His honesty and integrity are
above reproach. He combines legal knowledge with a practical
common sense approach.”
Nominated by Justice Catherine D. “Kitty” Kimball,
attorney Michael S. Walsh is a member of the Louisiana and
Texas Bar Associations. He is the current Chairman of the
Criminal Law Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association
and is a Past President of the Louisiana Association of Criminal
Defense Lawyers. He is a graduate of the Paul M. Hebert Law
Center and Louisiana State University.
Nominated by Justice Jeffrey P. Victory as a Public-at-Large
member, Charles C. Beard of Shreveport, Louisiana is a Certified
Financial Planner.
Nominated by Justice Jeannette Knoll as a Public-at-Large
member, Martin L. Chehotsky of Lake Charles, Louisiana is
a Certified Public Accountant with McElroy, Quirk & Burch
and an Adjunct Professor of Accounting and Auditing at McNeese
State University.
The disciplinary board is composed of 14 members who are appointed
by the Supreme Court. One member is nominated by the Louisiana
State Bar Association each year and must have prior lawyer
discipline experience. Of the 14 members, four are members
of the general public with diverse backgrounds. Women comprise
25 percent of the Board and one-third are minorities. The
term of office for all board members is three years and no
board member may serve more than two consecutive terms. None
of the members of the Board receive any compensation for their
services.
The new members replace outgoing members James L. Pate of
Lafayette, Peter T. Dazzio of Shreveport, Reginald Brown,
Sr. of Baton, Rouge, and Jack Whitehead, Jr. of Shreveport,
to whom the Court is grateful for their years of service.
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