PORTLAND, Maine—A longtime partner at a prestigious Portland law firm has been permanently disbarred after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from clients and the firm.
The state board that oversees the profession says John Duncan is the first lawyer in Maine history to get a lifetime ban from practicing law. He pleaded guilty last month as part of an agreement in which the state recommended that he serve 2 1/2 years in prison.
Disbarred lawyers generally have the opportunity to seek reinstatement after a period of time determined by the state supreme court. But Justice Warren Silver wrote that a lifetime ban was warranted because of the size of the theft, and the fact it continued for 10 years.
------
Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
