The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday accepted a request from state Democratic Party chairman Mike Berlon that he be disciplined with a reprimand for violating ethics rules for lawyers.
Berlon, a Grayson attorney, will be reprimanded for his conduct by a review panel of the State Bar of Georgia. This is the least severe punishment for a lawyer who runs afoul of bar rules.
“I’m just glad we got to the point where this is over with and we can move forward,” Berlon said.
But Berlon was recently suspended, on an interim basis, from practicing law because he failed to respond to a State Bar of Georgia notice of investigation in another case, the details of which remain confidential. The State Bar on Monday filed a motion to lift Berlon’s suspension in that case.
In the case decided by the state Supreme Court on Monday, Berlon had represented a client in connection with child support issues, and the client asked Berlon to file a change of custody motion, the decision said. But Berlon failed to do so and the client only learned about it when he appeared for a hearing on a child support contempt issue, the decision said.
The client confronted Berlon, who then filed the change of custody action, the court said, noting Berlon later terminated his representation with the client.
About the Author
