legal corruption

On March 4, 2011, disbarred attorney Betsy Wolfenden argued to a three-member panel of the North Carolina State Bar's Disciplinary Commission that she should receive a new disciplinary hearing on the grounds the State Bar's witnesses -- Judge Joe Buckner, Judge Lunsford Long, Judge Beverly Scarlett, Donna Ambler Rice, Leigh Peek and Susan Lewis -- committed perjury. The Disciplinary Commission is an "arm" of the North Carolina State Bar and the three-member panels serve as both judge and jury at attorney disciplinary hearings. Wolfenden seeks to have disbarment order vacated.

The same day the Court of Appeals issued a strongly-worded opinion calling the Orange County child custody case involving Emily McManaway's son a "charade," it issued a second opinion affirming the dismissal of McManaway's lawsuit against LDS Family Services, Cecil Bohannon, Marvilyn Bohannon, Kristin Bradley Branch, Johnny Lee Branch and Attorneys Donna Ambler Rice and Leigh Peek, on the grounds they had absolute immunity because their misconduct occurred during judicial proceedings. The Court noted that other legal remedies may be available to McManaway against the parties who interfered with custody of her son:

Disbarrred lawyer claims vindication

In a hysteria-inducing diatribe, the North Carolina State Bar accuses Betsy Wolfenden of "posing the gravest of threats" because, according to the State Bar, "her goal is to convince the public that our legal system is corrupt." Actually, Wolfenden only accused two judges and three attorneys in 15-B District Court, and the North Carolina State Bar of being corrupt, and the NC Court of Appeals recently confirmed her allegations in two strongly worded opinions:

Bohannon v. McManaway

McManaway v. LDS Family Services et al.

After Attorney Betsy Wolfenden testified at her State Bar deposition on 1/29/10 to the dysfunction and corruption in 15-B District Court, the State Bar filed a motion to seal the transcript from public view, which was denied.

Betsy Wolfenden's deposition transcript