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Friday, November 5, 1999
High court bars ex-prosecutor, sanctions lawyer
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday barred former Saline
County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Harmon from practicing law and
sanctioned a suspended Conway lawyer for contempt.
A federal jury convicted Harmon in 1997 of five of 11 felony
charges of racketeering, extortion and drug conspiracy.
U.S. District Judge Stephen M. Reasoner sentenced him to
eight years in prison, ordered him to pay $16,000 in restitution
to victims of two extortion schemes and fined him $25,000.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis upheld
Harmon's convictions last month.
In a one-page order, the Supreme Court barred Harmon from
practicing law on the recommendation of its Committee on
Professional Conduct, which regulates the practices of lawyers
in Arkansas.
In a separate ruling, the Supreme Court fined Tim Williams
of Conway $458 for a contempt finding it issued in July because
he had continued to practice law after his license was suspended.
The money equaled the amount of court reporter expenses the
Supreme Court incurred for hearing the Williams matter.
In February, the professional conduct committee suspended
Williams' license for six months.
After finding that he had practiced law under the suspended
license, the committee later ordered Williams' license suspended
for an additional six months beginning Sept. 17.
Williams also faces criminal charges stemming from his law
practice. Last week, Ben Caruth of Morrilton, the special
prosecutor named to investigate Williams, filed felony charges
of theft of property and forgery.
The charges involve a check for $1,657.20 that authorities
say should have gone to Williams' client, Interiors Only Inc. of
Conway. Williams is accused of forging a signature on the back
of the check, then depositing the money into his personal
account.
Caruth said he expects to file more charges against Williams.
Copyright © 1999, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. All rights
reserved.
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