Attorney Jam Smith of White Stone, VA: Today’s “Humanitarian” Award Winner

The state of Virginia presented Jan Smith with a law license in 1993 after he graduated from Catholic University School of Law.

The Virginia State Bar found Jan guilty of engaging in the following misconduct.

Jan’s 1^st bite at the Attorney Misfit Apple Tree

• Failed to promptly file appeal on client’s behalf
• Failed to communicate with his client
• Failed to cooperate with ethics investigators (Screw you, said Jan!)

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Disciplinary Board punished Jan by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.

Jan’s 2^nd bite at the Attorney Misfit Apple Tree

• Failed to act with due diligence (slacker)
• Failed to communicate with client
• Failed to file required notice of appeal on client’s behalf
• Allowed statute of limitations to toll re: client’s personal injury claim

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Disciplinary Board punished Jan by gifting him with a complimentary reprimand.

Jan’s 3^rd bite at the Attorney Misfit Apple Tree

The following misconduct took place while he was employed as the Lancaster County Prosecutor and his handling of the 2017 death of 31-year-old Graham McCormick.

• Negotiated controversial plea deal with the murderer
• After McCormick’s family told Jan the plea deal was too lenient, Jan told them “wrongfully and inaccurately suggested” that the judge overseeing the case at the time “had pre-judged the case”
• Knowingly made a false statement of fact or law
• Engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation
• Engaged in conduct adversely reflecting on fitness to practice

All that remains now is to see what if any punishment is meted out to Jan by the cheerleaders for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Disciplinary Board.

As we speak (ca. June 2020), Jan practices his brand of law at 1751 Windmill Point Road in White Stone, Virginia.