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LOUISI N TTOI
 EY
DISCIPLIN RY
IIOARDINRE:BRYANM.
WHITE
DOCKET
NO.10-011-087
RECOMMEND TION
OF
HEAIU:-IG
COMMITTEE
NO.33OnDecember8.2008.Respondent.Bryan
M
While( Mr.White ),pursuant
to
Order
of
LouisianaSupremeCourt,wasdisbarredretroactive
to
hisJune24,2003interimsuspension
arisingout
of
Mr
White sguihyplea
to
misprision
of
a
ICiony
pursuant
to
18
U,S,c.§
4
In
accordancewithLa.Sup.Ct.RuleXIX
§
24A,Mr.Whitepetitionsforreadmission
to
the
Louisiana
Bar
The
Charges
Theproceduralhistory
of
thismatterwassetforth
by
theLouisianaSupremeCourt
in
 n
Re ·
 J all
WlJire
2008-13-1390(La.12/2/08).996So.2d266.
In
2001and2002,
AI
Copeland( Mr.Copeland,,)1wasinvolvedinacustodydisputewithhisex-wife,LuanHunter( Ms.
HUllter ).
Thedomesticproceeding
was
beforeJudgeRonaldBodenheimer
of
the24
th
JudicialDistrict
Coun
fortheParish
of
Jefferson?Mr.Copclandwasrepresented
by
RobenLowe.Onoccasion,Mr.Whiteactedasthepersonalrepresentative
of
Mr.Copelandinthisproceeding.and
 
AI
CopelanddiedonMarch23,2008.
1
Themattersbl. foreJudgeUodenhcimcrrelated
to
minorissuessuch
as
childvisitationmancrsrelating
1
holidayvisitationarnlllgemelllSandsellingschedulesforthetime
of
dayforexchange
of
thechild.Significant
ly
thevisitationschedulehadbeenstipulated
to
bythepanicsandthatscheduleremainedthroughout
at
alltimesmateriallongafterBodenheimerwasremovedfromthebench.CustodyandfinancialissueshadbeensellledandwcrenotbeforeJudgeBodenheimer.
 
of
 
Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board
FILED
 by:
Docket# Filed-On
 
Donna Burgess 
10-DB-087
 8/19/2011
Original
 
 
attimes.
Mr.
Whiteengaged
in
communications\\;thJudgeBodenheimerwhichwereinitiated
 
JudgeBodenheimer.
 JudgeBodenheimer(andothers)weretargets
of
an
investigationbyfederallawenforcementofficersunrelated
to
theCopelanddomesticproceeding,andonJune
5
2002,
Mr.
WhitewasinterviewedbytheFBI.However.heprovidedinl onnationanddocumentstotheFBI,buthefailedtofullydisclose
to
theFnIthe
full
extent
of
hisknowledge
of
JudgeBodenheimer s
conduct
specificallythatJudgeBodenheimerwastryingtoshakedowntheCopelands Companies.
In
February2003.
Mr.
Whitewasindicted
in
theUnitedStatesDistrictCourt
for
theEasternDistrict
of
Louisiana.andlessthanaweeklateronFebnlary13.2003.
Mr.
Whiteacceptedresponsibilityandpledguilty
to
onecount
of
misprision
of
afelony,thecrime
of
concealingknowledge
of
afelonybyonewho
has
notparticipatedorassisted
in
it.Mr.
Whiteself.reportedhisconduct
to
theLouisianaOffice
of
DisciplinaryCounsel( ODC )immediatelypriortohisguiltyplea.OnJune24.2003.theLouisianaSupremeCourtplaced
Mr.
Whiteoninterimsuspensionbasedonhisconviction.
In
 e
While.
03-1425(La.
6124/03
852So.2d976.OnJune
3.
2004,theODCfiledtwocounts
of
formalchargesagainst
Mr.
White,allegingthathisconductviolatedthefollowingRules
or
ProfessionalConducl:,Rules3.5(a)
 a
lawyershallnotsecktoinfluence
ajudgc
 
meansprohibitedbylaw);,Rule3.5(b)(prohibited
exparte
communications):
;
Rule3.5(c)(alawyershallnotengagein:onductintendedtodisruptatribunal):
 
Rule8.4(a)(violation
of
theRules
of
ProfessionalConduct);
 
Rule8.4(b)(commission
of
acriminalactreflectingadversely
on
thelawyer shonesty,trust >vorthiness,
or
fitnessasalawyer):
2
of
10
 
 .
Rule8.4(c)(engagingmconductinvolvingdishonesty,fraud,deceit.or
 
misrepresentation):
 .
Rule8.4(d)(engaging
in
conductprejudicialtotheadministration
of
justice):and
 
Rule8.4(f)(knowinglyassistingajudge
in
conductthat
is
aviolation
of
applicableRules
of
JudicialConductorotherlaw).
Mr
Whiteansweredthefonnalchargesandadminedhisconviction.
Mr
Whilealsoadmittedthatheknewof.butdidnottimelyreport
 
theappropriateauthorities,theconspiracybyJudgeBodenheimerandothers
to
violaleMs.Hunter'scivilrights.However,pursuantto
Ihe
Rules
of
ProfessionalConduct
in
elrect
al
that ime,
Mr
Whitewasobligatedtokeepthaiinformalionconfidential.
Mr
Whitefurtheradmittedthatheengaged
in
several
 xp rl
communicationswithJudgeBodenheimer,andthatthesecommunicalionswereimproper.However.Mr.Whiteandthe
 e
acknowledgedlhalhedidnulillitiatethecommunications,whichheasserted werepromptedbyrepeatedrequestsandcallsfromBodenheimer andPhilipDemma( 'Mr.Demma ).amutualacquaintance
of
Mr.CopelandandJudgeBodenheimer.Mr.WhiledescribedhisinvolvementwithJudgeBodenheimeras reluctant and reactive, ratherthan proactive, and
 
thenonlytopreventhamltohisc1ient scaseratherthantoinfluencethe
OUlcome
affimlativclyandnefariously:'Also.Mr.WhiterefusedtofunhercooperatewithJudgeBodenheimerandcommunicated
to
Mr
Demmathe
he
wouldnotprovideJudgeBodenheimerwhathewantedthusthwartingJudgeBodenheimer'splans.
In
addition,the
DO
acknowledgedthat
Mr
'White'sconductwaspassiveandnotaffinnati\'e.
Mr
White
abo
deniedthathisconductactuallycorruptedorprejudicedtheCopelanddomesticcase,becausenonc
of
JudgeBodenheimer'srulingsweresubstantivelyorprocedurallyimproper.andnonewerereversedonthemerits.
In
3
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