Attorney Misconduct, Crime, Legal Ethics

Prominent Defense Attorney Uses Networking To... Hire A Killer?

One lawyer won't be winning any accolades for his legal ethics.

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Eight people, including a prominent defense attorney, his wife, and daughter, and three current and/or former California Highway Patrol officers, were arrested in connection with a 2012 murder-for-hire plot.

Defense attorney Frank Carson (who is known to ATL readers for his sharp temper) was allegedly mad at the victim, Korey Alan Kauffman, for stealing scrap metal off of his property and selling it for recycling. In what is one of the least proportionate responses to a minor annoyance ever, according to the arrest warrant, Carson used his connections to the criminal world derived from his legal work to retaliate. As reported by News 10:

“Frank Carson has multiple ties to the criminal element in the community and has solicited them on several occasions to commit acts of violence making him a significant danger to society,” the affidavit states. “Frank Carson’s position as an officer of the court has been seriously abused and compromised by his willingness to utilize the court process in an effort to thwart this investigation and to conceal his criminal conduct thus making him a significantly higher danger to the public.”

Sure sounds like Carson won’t be winning any accolades for his legal ethics.

Kauffman disappeared in 2012, after acquaintances heard him indicate he was going to “hit” Carson’s property. His body was discovered a year and a half later, and now investigators believe he met his fate on Carson’s property. One of the alleged conspirators, Robert Woody, who was arrested in 2014 in relation to the crime, spoke with investigators:

“Woody confirmed (to investigators) that he felt he owed Carson a favor because Carson had represented him in court and he did not charge him,” the affidavit states. “Woody said if the police were to come to him about the homicide and arrest him on it he was supposed to not say anything, and not talk to the police investigators about anything about the case. Woody confirmed F. Carson would bail him out on the charge and also represent him.”

As for the California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers, their alleged role in the crime — and the cover up — has left the organization spinning:

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“Walter Wells being a California Highway Patrol Officer has seriously breached the public trust by engaging in such egregious criminal conduct in purposefully obstructing justice,” the affidavit states. [Officers] Quintanar and McFarlane “breached that trust by engaging in multiple acts to willfully and maliciously obstruct justice by providing false information on repeated occasions.”

“I am here, saddened by the news that has been revealed to us this afternoon,” [CHP Commissioner Joseph] Farrow said during Friday’s press conference. “To hear news like this is devastating to our organization.

“It rips at the soul of an organization,” Farrow said.

Though the complete details of their involvement have not yet been released, the district attorney is expected to file charges against Carson and his co-conspirators tomorrow.

You can read the full, crazy arrest warrant on the next page.

Prominent Modesto attorney, CHP officers arrested for murder conspiracy [News 10]

Earlier: The Record Should Reflect… LOUD NOISES!!!

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