Prosecutors on Trial: The Rule of Law or Unfettered Discretion - LIVE WEBCAST

Program Description:

 

In March, 2010 the Chief Justice of Arizona asked the Chief Justice of Colorado for help. The Chief Justice's request led to a two-year investigation and trial of the former Maricopa County Attorney and two of his senior prosecutors by attorneys in the Colorado Supreme Court's Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.

 

This is a story of years of intimidation and retaliation by the former Maricopa County Attorney. His targets were sitting judges, County Supervisors, County administrators, and private lawyers. After years of prosecutorial misconduct, the Rule of Law in Maricopa County was fast disappearing. As the elected head of the fourth-largest county in the United States, his misuse of power led to the largest lawyer discipline prosecution in history.

 

The presentation will detail the investigation and prosecution as well as the harassment and intimidation directed at the disciplinary prosecutors from Colorado, John Gleason and Jamie Sudler. Hear first-hand about their experience in Arizona and their attempt to return justice to Maricopa County.

 

Agenda:

11:30 am - 1:30 pm Prosecutors on Trial: The Rule of Law or Unfettered Discretion

About the Faculty:

 

 

John S. Gleason, Esq. is Regulation Counsel for the Colorado Supreme Court where he directs an office of the Court responsible for the regulation of Colorado attorneys and magistrates and the prosecution of unauthorized practice of law matters. He also serves as counsel to the Supreme Court Attorneys' Fund for Client Protection, State Board of Law Examiners, and as Special Counsel for the Commission on Judicial Discipline.  Prior to his appointment as Regulation Counsel to the Supreme Court, he served as a senior trial lawyer and Deputy Regulation Counsel.  He previously served as a criminal prosecutor and was in private practice with a law firm in Denver for several years. He attended Bowling Green State University and Columbia College as an undergraduate and earned his law degree from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law. Mr. Gleason is active locally and nationally with the National Organization of Bar Counsel, the National Organization of Judicial Counsel, the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, and is President of the Board of Directors of the National Client Protection Organization. Mr. Gleason serves as a member of the Colorado Supreme Court's Judicial Council and the Colorado Supreme Court's Standing Committee on the Rules of Professional Conduct. Mr. Gleason is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a Fellow of the Colorado Bar Foundation. Mr. Gleason is an adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and adjunct faculty member at Columbia College-Denver. Mr. Gleason is active in local community affairs and is on the board of directors for a metropolitan youth sports organization.

 

Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel

 

Jamie Sudler has worked in the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel since 1992.  He is currently Chief Deputy Regulation Counsel in charge of the Litigation Division of that office. Early in his career he worked as a Deputy District Attorney in Denver.  He also was an associate in the firm of Rothgerber, Appel & Powers.  He later was in the Special Prosecutions Unit of the Colorado Attorney General's Office.

 

Jamie designed and developed Trust Account School which is offered 4 times a year to Colorado attorneys and office administrators.  This half-day course helps lawyers understand and avoid trust account problems that arise in everyday practice.  Jamie has taught at the Colorado Supreme Court Ethics School on many occasions, and he regularly lectures to lawyers about various issues including conflicts, confidentiality, trust accounts, fees and fee agreements.  He has also taught at the University of Denver.