Former Hood River District Attorney Disbars Himself

Another Oregon lawyer quietly resigns without consequence

Just months after the state paid $150,000 to settle a lawsuit filed against him — with no acknowledgement of guilt — former Hood River District Attorney John Sewell’s resignation from the practice of law was quietly accepted by the Oregon Supreme Court… also with no admission of guilt.

Such a “disciplinary resignation” comes with few consequences — aside from not being allowed to practice law again — and means literally nothing to anyone who was victimized by the attorney and who complained to the Oregon State Bar. The attorney just gets to skate away in the middle of the Bar’s investigation, and then the Bar puts down their pencils.

Sewell’s case is interesting inasmuch as he’s yet another lawyer and elected official who abused his authority, wielding both his badge and his bar license to maliciously prosecute one of his wife’s coworkers.

His resignation is more interesting as an example of the lack of transparency at the Bar and on its website, in a state that is supposedly a public records leader.

Looking Mr. Sewell up in the Bar’s directory, you wouldn’t know that anything was wrong unless you also knew to hit the dropdown box under disciplinary history. And even then, the definition of this type of resignation does not fully convey the finality of the situation.

Check out the websites of neighboring state Bars in California and Washington, and note how clear a picture they give the public regarding their licensees’ disciplinary history.

As another example, note the entry of now-former Oregon attorney Megan Perry, who was allowed to resign her license in the middle of an investigation of 16 bar complaints… and then compare it to her Washington entry, where she was reciprocally disbarred for her conduct in Oregon.

Washington’s website even allows you to click on the Supreme Court Order that disbars or disciplines an attorney like Perry.

It’s in fact shameful that Oregon allows an attorney to quit in the middle of a disciplinary proceeding without admitting guilt and without supporting the victims, and then buries the information on its opaque website.

So much for transparency and for protecting the public.