Lawyer Accused In January 6th Riots Is STILL Representing Clients

Pay no attention to the ankle monitor on the defense attorney!

McCall Calhoun (Image via Twitter)

Oh boy. Remember William McCall Calhoun? He’s the Georgia attorney who allegedly said he was among the first who “kicked in Nancy Pelosi’s office door” and that Pelosi would’ve been “torn into little pieces” if the mob found her during the Capitol siege. At first he was denied bail, with the judge saying, “[B]ecause of the corrupting and dangerous ideology that has poisoned this man’s mind, I wouldn’t trust him to do anything I told him to do. He probably considers me scum who deserves a headshot. So, no, I’m not gonna release him.” But, after Calhoun took a much more conciliatory tact, he was released on bail.

At the time of his release, he lamented the end of his legal career:

But it turns out those fears were premature. Because, according to reporting by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, he’s continued to represent clients, including a man on trial for murder. Apparently the jurors were told not to “Google any of the attorneys,” and were not informed about the charges Calhoun faces. But as the article coyly noted, his court-ordered ankle monitor “could be seen poking from beneath the pant leg” of his suit.

Now, you might be asking yourself, after such high-profile charges, how is Calhoun able to continue practicing law? Well, Georgia bar spokeswoman Jennifer Mason said they’re taking a wait and see approach: “The bar does not govern personal conduct by a lawyer. Mr. Calhoun’s participation in the riots was personal conduct and does not violate the Rules of Professional Conduct unless it constituted a crime. Our rules require that the lawyer be convicted before we act because, just like any other person accused of a crime, our system grants defendants a presumption of innocence.”

Former president of the State Bar of Georgia, Lester Tate, had a different take, telling the paper that an interim suspension was available if there’s a substantial threat of harm to clients or the public. Maybe the bar just doesn’t think the allegations Calhoun referred to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a “dead commie walking,” or saying on Parler, “We are going to kill every last communist who stands in Trump’s way,” rises to that level.

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Calhoun previously rejected a plea deal, saying:

“They offered me a felony,” he said. “I know I didn’t commit a felony.”

So, with Calhoun’s case making its way through the court system, he’s free to continue practicing law… complete with that ankle bracelet.


Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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