| Description: | High court allows Reggie to resume law practice |
| Publication: | State-Times / Morning Advocate |
| Text of article: | High court allows Reggie
to resume law: practice
By JOE GYAN JR.
New Orleans bureau
NEW ORLEANS A sharply divided state Supreme Court reversed itself Friday and suspended politically connected Crowley lawyer Edmund Reggie from practicing law in Louisiana for one year retroactive to December 1993.
Reggie's attorney, Camille Gravel of Alexandria, said the 67-year-old Reggie can resume practicing law as soon as a few "minor housekeeping-matters" are dealt with.
"He's eligible for reinstatement now," Gravel said.
Reggie served 120 consecutive days of home detention and paid a $30,000 fine as a result of his federal convictions.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Cap. also is seeking $40 million from Reggie and several others because of the 1937 failure of Acadia Savings& Loan of Crowley, a thrift he started in 1059.
Reggie was convicted In 1002 of misapply- ing funds of Acadia Savings. He also pleaded no contest in 1903 to another Misapplication charge, thus ending the federal criminal case against. him.
Reggie, a former Crowley city judge and longtime friend of Gov. Edwin Edwards, also is the father-in-law of D.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass,
In March the high court voted 4-3 to suspend Reggie for 30 months, also retroactive to Dec. 10,1993. It was on that date that the court suspended him indefinitely on an interim basis because of his federal convictions on charges of misapplication of bank funds
The 30-month suspension meant Reggie could not practice law in Louisiana until mid-1990.
The State Bar Association's disciplinary board had recommended that Reggie be suspended for one year—retroactwe to Dec.16,1993. Gravel, who convinced the high court to reconsider the 30-month suspension, argued before the court last month that the disciplinary board was just ified in making its recommendation.
Four of the just ices on the seven. member panel that heard Reggie's case agreed Friday.
"This court should have accepted l he well-considered and soundly based recommendation of the Dis-
ciplinary Board," the four-justice majority wrote.
Chief Justice Pascal Calogero Jr. and Justices Walter Marcus Jr., James Dennis and Harry Lemon voted to set aside them 30-month suspension and replace it with a 12. month suspension. Lemmon had voted for the 30-month suspension March.
Justices Catherine "Kitty" Kim-
ball, Bernette Johnson and Jeffrey Victory dissented from Friday's decision.
The four justice majority said Friday that the high court erred in March when It said Reggie was a director of Acadia at the time of the misapplication. The justices said the court also was wrong when It said Reggie's law firm served as closing attorney on the Acadia transactions. |
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