Summary
The Oklahoma Supreme Court immediately suspended Amber Ann Sweet from practicing law after receiving certified records showing her guilty pleas to felony grand larceny and false declaration of ownership in a pawn shop. The order required Sweet to show cause by September 28, 2021, why the interim suspension should be set aside, with the Oklahoma Bar Association permitted to respond by October 13, 2021.
Topics
Practice areas
Questions Presented
- Whether the Oklahoma Supreme Court may immediately suspend a lawyer from the practice of law upon receiving certified copies of an information, guilty plea, and order deferring judgment and sentence under Rule 7.3 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings.
Holdings
- Upon receipt of the certified criminal-case documents specified in Rule 7.3 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings, the Oklahoma Supreme Court may immediately suspend the lawyer from the practice of law until further order of the Court.
Key quotations
“Upon receipt of the certified copies of Judgment and Sentence on a plea of guilty, order deferring judgment and sentence, indictment or information and the judgment and sentence, the Supreme Court may by order immediately suspend the lawyer from the practice of law until further order of the Court.” (¶2)
Factual background
Amber Ann Sweet entered guilty pleas to one count of grand larceny, a felony under 21 O.S. Supp. 2018, § 1705, and one count of false declaration of ownership in a pawn shop, a felony under 59 O.S. Supp. 2018, § 1512(C)(2). On June 18, 2021, the district court deferred sentencing for three years, until June 3, 2024. The Oklahoma Bar Association submitted certified copies of the information, pleas, and deferred-sentence order to the Supreme Court.
Procedural history
Amber Ann Sweet pleaded guilty in district court to felony grand larceny and felony false declaration of ownership in a pawn shop. The district court deferred sentencing for three years. Pursuant to Rules 7.1 and 7.2 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings, the Oklahoma Bar Association forwarded certified copies of the criminal-case documents to the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which issued an immediate interim suspension under Rule 7.3 and allowed Sweet to show cause why the order should be set aside.