Today in Supreme Court History: September 18

Matter of Disbarment of Donald D. Nash, 473 U.S. 931 (decided September 18, 1985).  He had been convicted of Class A sodomy.  He later applied for reinstatement; the Oregon decision denying reinstatement has an extensive and graphic depiction of his treatment for pedophilia, 885 P.2d 1112 (1993).  He had had sex with the 6-year-old daughter of a client. The psychiatrist at the reinstatement hearing noted that Mr. Nash was married to a woman 20 years his junior who was “unlikely to be at his maturity level”.  The Dr. recommended that he return to practice but be prohibited from taking on clients who had little daughters.  Good God! -- thankfully the court did not buy it.  As of today he is still disbarred.

Matter of Disbarment of John Cody, 473 U.S. 930 (decided September 18, 1985):  This man, John Donald Cody, has such an extensive history that he is on Wikipedia.  After being caught stealing client funds, he disappeared, stole another’s identity, and incorporated a charity supposedly for Navy veterans (actually it was a charity for himself).  He got onto the VA’s referral list and was photographed with George W. Bush, John Boehner, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani (no surprise there) and Karl Rove.  They finally caught him in 2012 and he’s in prison for life.