Crime, D. Marvin Jones, Law Professors, Law Schools, Prostitution, Sex, Sex Scandals

Miami Criminal Law Professor Accused of Prostitution-Related Offense -- Again

In October 2007, Professor D. Marvin Jones of the University of Miami School of Law was hit with a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a prostitute. We found it interesting that a criminal procedure professor was charged with, well, violating the criminal law. We bestowed Lawyer of the Day honors upon Professor Jones. Well, it seems that Professor Jones is back. Multiple University of Miami law school sources have alerted us to a new charge against him....

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Back in 2007, Professor D. Marvin Jones of the University of Miami School of Law was hit with a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a prostitute. We found it interesting that a criminal procedure professor was charged with, well, violating the criminal law. We bestowed Lawyer of the Day honors upon Professor Jones.

This did not sit well with Professor Jones, who sued us in November 2009. After his complaint received widespread criticism, however, he voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit.

Well, it seems that Professor Jones is back. Multiple University of Miami law school sources have alerted us to a new charge against him….

Numerous tipsters have directed our attention to this online record (posted in full below). According to this document, one “DONALD M. JONES” was charged on September 26 with a misdemeanor count of “PROST/PURCH SERVICES” — i.e., purchasing services from a prostitute.

Is this the same person as Professor D. Marvin Jones? If you look back at Professor Jones’s 2007 arrest record, it has the same date of birth — October 21, 1951 — as the new arrest record.

In addition, UM Law is abuzz with the news. Here’s what one tipster told us:

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UM law prof popped for hookers a second time? The rumors are flying on campus. This is Facebook chatter, that file was posted on my wall….

Said a second source:

It’s all over the school, so you can imagine we’re all very proud. I guess we should have put in a provision into our Student Bill of Rights that prevented a professor from picking up call-girls.

How did the word start to spread? A third source informed us:

[T]he rumor-mongering started with someone saying they heard from a “very reliable ASA [assistant state’s attorney] friend” that [Professor Jones] had been picked up again. Then I decided to verify it by checking the public records to see for myself, since I don’t take anyone at face value. Lo and behold, a Donald Marvin Jones had been picked up this week for [a prostitution-related offense].

So, then I cross-checked the birthday against the original post on ATL, and the birthdays matched. I haven’t heard anything personally besides that, though. Wish I had more.

Everyone at UM is talking about it at this point….

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Well, not everyone. Some folks are being fairly tight-lipped.

We reached out for comment last night to Professor Jones and to Dean Patricia White. (We’ve previously praised Dean White for trying to keep tuition costs down and for being honest about the value proposition of law school.)

“I only learned of this charge at the end of the day today,” Dean White told us. “Until I have more information, I will not be able to make a statement.”

This morning, a university spokesperson sent us the following comment:

The University of Miami is aware of the situation concerning UM School of Law Professor Donald M. Jones. It is our policy not to comment on personnel matters and will be unable to issue any further statement at this time.

Professor Jones has not gotten back to us.

We remind our readers that this is merely an accusation and that Professor Jones is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We also note that he is still a well-respected member of the UM Law community and very popular among his students (perhaps due in part to his grading policies — said one student, “Who wouldn’t love his curve?”).

“Jones is still a great teacher,” said a Miami Law source. “Most people would agree. He’s engaging and fun and usually knows the material very well, if with his own slant.”

What’s the good professor’s take on recidivism?

Donald M. Jones [Miami-Dade County County Clerk Criminal Justice and Civil Infraction Cases]

Earlier: Prior ATL coverage of D. Marvin Jones

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