The Arizona Senate Judiciary & Elections Committee held a hearing Wednesday afternoon to look into “anomalies” by the State Bar of Arizona. Chair Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff) said the anomalies prompted the hearing, which included a vote passing Senate Bill (SB) 1039. She conducted the hearing with Sen. Mark Finchem (R-Prescott). Both previously sent letters to the Department of Justice (DOJ) asking for an investigation into the state bar, and the Maricopa County Republican Committee’s Executive Guidance Committee issued a resolution demanding a DOJ investigation.
SB 1039 would allow attorneys who are exonerated after investigations by the state bar to recover loss of income, and the ability to file a claim against the state bar if they suffered damage to their reputation. Current law only allows attorneys to recover their costs and attorney fees.
Lawyer Vladimir Gagic, who was suspended by the state bar, testified first. He said his parents’ home country under communism was “every bit as bad as the State Bar of Arizona. In fact, it’s worse, because at least with the communists, they didn’t hide what they were doing.”
“They would just tell you, you do this or we’re going or we’re going to do something else to you, you know, hurt your kids stuff like that if you do what we want will make your life. Great, but with the State Bar of Arizona, it’s all hypocrisy.”
He said for defending an innocent man, “I’m the only lawyer in 100 years to lose my license without a hearing on a merit, without default or consent.”
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