Ethics
Disbarment beneficial for ex-Trump lawyer Eastman by State Bar Courtroom of California panel
June 17, 2025, 12:08 pm CDT
Lawyer John Eastman leaves after chatting with the media outdoors the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, the place he was booked Aug. 22, 2023. His lawyer David Wolfe speaks to press within the background. (Photograph by Arvin Temkar/The Atlanta Journal-Structure by way of the Related Press)
Ex-Trump lawyer John Eastman has moved one other step nearer to disbarment, as a unanimous three-judge panel of the State Bar Courtroom of California’s evaluate division affirmed earlier findings that he was culpable of 10 counts of misconduct regarding his illustration of President Donald Trump throughout and after the 2020 election.
“In a democracy nothing could be extra elementary than the orderly switch of energy that happens after a good and unimpeded electoral course of as established by legislation,” the evaluate division mentioned in its June 13 opinion. “On this disciplinary matter, we think about the suitable self-discipline to suggest to the California Supreme Courtroom when an lawyer, who has sworn to uphold the legal guidelines and constitutions of the state of California and the USA, makes an attempt to actively undermine the outcomes of an election to probably the most highly effective workplace in the USA.”
Reuters and Regulation.com have protection.
In March 2024, Choose Yvette Roland of the State Bar Courtroom of California—the executive arm of the California Supreme Courtroom—beneficial that Eastman be disbarred. In accordance with earlier reporting by Regulation.com, Roland wrote that “Eastman’s actions transgressed … moral limits by advocating, collaborating in and pursuing a method to problem the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election that lacked evidentiary or authorized assist.” Consequently, his legislation license additionally was suspended.
The State Bar of California’s chief trial counsel charged Eastman with a number of disciplinary counts in January 2023.
Eastman spoke at Trump’s “Cease the Steal” rally Jan. 6, 2021, and wrote two memos to assist the bogus concept that former Vice President Mike Pence had the facility to reject licensed state electors and reverse Trump’s 2020 election loss. He additionally represented Trump in a lawsuit on the U.S. Supreme Courtroom that aimed to invalidate votes in 4 states the place Trump falsely claimed that there was proof of voter fraud, in accordance with Reuters.
Eastman initially confronted 11 disciplinary prices beneath the state’s enterprise and professions code, with the California bar accusing him of acts of “ethical turpitude, dishonesty or corruption.”
On Friday, the State Bar Courtroom of California’s evaluate division agreed that Eastman “persistently did not be trustworthy” in his dealings with the courts, the general public, and Pence and his workers.
It rejected Eastman’s claims that adversarial pretrial rulings and the decide’s bias and conduct in his trial violated his due course of rights.
“Eastman states his case is exclusive, calling it ‘probably the most politicized disbarment continuing in California’s historical past,’ however his perception is just not proof, nor does it create an look of impropriety relating to the listening to decide,” the opinion mentioned. “As a result of he identifies no proof aside from his subjective perception, we reject his claims of bias as speculative and conclusory.”
The evaluate division additionally rejected Eastman’s assertions that the First Modification supplied him free speech protections.
“Whereas attorneys have a First Modification proper to make statements in public in the midst of their skilled duties, this proper doesn’t lengthen to creating realizing or reckless false statements of truth or legislation,” the opinion mentioned.
The State Bar Courtroom of California’s evaluate division mentioned it beneficial that Eastman be disbarred due to “the intense nature and extent of Eastman’s misconduct and the load of aggravating circumstances in relation to mitigation.”
It additionally mentioned “disbarment is important to guard the general public, the courts and the authorized career.”
Eastman’s lawyer Randall Miller of Miller Waxler instructed Regulation.com that they’d attraction the choice.
“The choice is an unconstitutional abuse of energy in opposition to attorneys and the authorized system, diminishes the career’s revered independence, and can chill attorneys from representing purchasers in unpopular or controversial issues, particularly these which can be inimical to the federal government,” Miller mentioned.
George Cardona, the State Bar of California’s chief trial counsel, additionally supplied a press release to Regulation.com. He referred to as the ruling “a robust and well timed reminder that whoever they’re and whoever they characterize, attorneys should stay true to the moral guidelines that govern their conduct and respect the rule of legislation.”
The California Supreme Courtroom, which has the ultimate say on beneficial lawyer self-discipline, will now evaluate Eastman’s case.
See additionally:
Prison prices add twist to Trump attorneys’ disciplinary circumstances
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