April
20, 2006 - William Hanlon has never been convicted of any crime.
However, 25 years ago, as a young police officer, Hanlon
participated in a cover-up after fellow police officers engaged in a
beating death of a black motorcyclist.
The facts and circumstances of Hanlon’s participation in the
25-year-old event can be found by
clicking here.
The
Florida Board of Bar Examiners and the Florida Supreme Court allowed
Hanlon to initially apply for a license to practice law, get denied,
wait through two years of ineligibility, reapply for admission, get
denied again by the Board, and then today, be told by the Florida
Supreme Court that he is forever barred from reapplying.
Click
here to see the Florida Supreme Court Order. The Board’s and the Court’s unconscionable actions offend
the basic concepts of due process.
We
know that concern for the rights of someone who has committed a
horrendous act 25 years ago is not politically popular, but our
Founding Fathers enacted the Constitution and expected its clear
intent to be followed. Regardless of how politically unpopular a
person is, he should not be denied the right to earn a living in his
chosen profession on account of political considerations. The
Florida Supreme Court has, once again, abandoned the external pretence
of honor by allowing improper and outside influences to tilt the
scales of justice.
FloridaBarWatch
is encouraging Hanlon to file a Section 1983 lawsuit, similar to that
filed by FloridaBarWatch’s attorney Dennis Dubuc, including a claim
for damages. (Click
here to see the Dubuc opinion).
BELOW
IS THE VIDEO OF THE ORAL ARGUMENT IN HANLON’S CASE: