Summaries of Orders by Quarter

John Mansfield of Raleigh engaged in criminal conduct, including assault on a female, during his tumultuous relationship with a woman who eventually became his client. The DHC entered a consent order suspending Mansfield for two years, with the ability to seek a stay after six months.

Robert Tucker of Asheville failed to timely file and pay over income taxes withheld from employees in 2009-2011. Following Tucker’s default, the DHC suspended his license for three years with the ability to seek a stay after one year.

Dismissals

It was alleged that Anastasia Cowan of Charlotte testified falsely about advice she received from State Bar ethics counsel. At the close of the State Bar’s evidence, the DHC granted Cowan’s motion to dismiss.

It was alleged that Jaime Halscott of Florida filed a frivolous complaint to collect legal fees from two mentally disabled former clients and their guardians. Halscott’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction was denied by the DHC and he filed notice of appeal. In light of the court of appeals’ subsequent decision in State Bar v. Muzinguzi, the State Bar voluntarily dismissed the complaint against Halscott.

Completed Grievance Noncompliance Actions before the DHC

On July 10, 2025, the chair of the DHC suspended the law license of Tiana Danise Young Morris of Houston for noncompliance with the grievance process.

Completed Grievance Review Panels

Six Grievance Review Panels were held this quarter. The panels affirmed the original disposition in two files. Two files were remanded with a recommendation for lesser public discipline, and two files were remanded with a recommendation for private discipline.

Orders of Reciprocal Discipline

The chair of the Grievance Committee entered an order of reciprocal discipline reprimanding Raymond Sitar of New Haven, Connecticut, for violations of Rules 4.4(a) and 8.4(d) of the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct.

Censures

Jason Ryan Binette of Matthews allowed a client’s romantic partner to prepare pleadings, sign them, and file them in the client’s case using Binette’s federal court electronic filing credentials. Binette did not timely comply with the court’s order to refile any documents submitted, signed or co-signed by the client’s partner. Binette also made a false statement in response to the grievance. He was censured by the Grievance Committee.

Courtney Bryant of Garner was administratively suspended from the practice of law in 2020 but contends she was unaware of the suspension until April 2022. She obtained the information needed to apply for reinstatement in April 2022 but did not apply for reinstatement until November 2024. Between April 2022 and November 2024, Bryant engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. She did not pay yearly membership dues or comply with CLE requirements during the four years of suspension. Bryant was censured by the Grievance Committee.

Jonathan Charleston of Fayetteville engaged in improper ex parte communications with a superior court judge, did not notify opposing counsel of his ex parte communications, and did not disclose material information to the court during those communications. Charleston was censured by the DHC.

Elisa Beth Jernigan of Erwin did not participate in good faith in the State Bar’s mandatory fee dispute resolution process and did not timely or fully respond to a grievance inquiry despite multiple extensions of time and reminders from the State Bar. Instead of submitting a response to the grievance, Jernigan prepared a document entitled “signed resolution” stating that the client accepted a partial refund of legal fees paid and therefore “dismissed” pending State Bar grievances against her. Jernigan was censured by the Grievance Committee.

Brent F. King of Davidson acted as the closing agent for what was to be a same-day double real estate closing. He had a duty to represent both the borrower and the lender in the transaction and an obligation to disburse the lender’s entrusted funds consistent with the lender’s closing instructions. King’s employee disbursed the funds contrary to the lender’s instructions, while concurrently notifying King of the disbursement. King failed to take reasonable remedial action at the time of the incorrect disbursement. He was censured by the Grievance Committee.

Robert G. Spaugh of Winston-Salem represented a client in equitable distribution proceedings. When the State Bar’s Attorney Client Assistance Program contacted Spaugh on behalf of the client, Spaugh claimed that he filed a calendar request and secured a hearing date. Spaugh told the client he would update him after the hearing. Spaugh did not file a calendar request, secure a hearing date, or update the client, and the case stagnated for two years. Spaugh represented a different client in unrelated divorce and equitable distribution proceedings. He was responsible for drafting the court’s order ruling in his client’s favor. Spaugh did not communicate with the client and had not drafted the order after more than six months. He agreed to provide a copy of his client file to the client’s new attorney but did not do so. Spaugh was censured by the Grievance Committee.

Sammy Davis Webb of Roanoke Rapids was appointed to represent a client on multiple criminal charges. Webb did not respond to the client’s repeated requests to file a motion to set or reduce bond, or repeated requests that Webb communicate with his fiancée. After Webb ignored the fiancée’s previous efforts to communicate with him, she texted Webb that she would pay him, if necessary, to get the bond motion filed. Webb responded, agreeing to accept a $15,000 fee. When the fiancée did not obtain funds to pay him, Webb stopped communicating with her. Webb first communicated with the client after the client had been in jail for four months. He was censured by the Grievance Committee.

Reprimands

Alan T. Briones, formerly of Raleigh, failed to act with diligence in representing a client, abandoned the client, did not protect the client’s interests upon termination of the representation, and did not obtain leave of court to withdraw. Although Briones claimed he inadvertently failed to transfer the case to substitute counsel, he did not have the client’s authorization to transfer the case. He was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee.

Shante Monique Burke-Hayer of Charlotte represented the co-executor of an estate. The client occasionally gave Burke-Hayer both oral and written permission to sign the client’s name on specific documents. After a conversation with the client but without the client’s written authorization, Burke-Hayer signed the client’s name to three documents. At her request, a notary notarized the signatures without the client appearing before the notary. The three documents were presented to counsel for the client’s co-executor, to be filed in the estate administration file. Burke-Hayer was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee.

Francis Albert Collins of Lake Wales, Florida, represented a client in a civil action. Collins did not timely submit discovery responses delivered to him by the client. The court entered an order compelling the client to submit responses within 30 days, deeming requests for admissions admitted, and dismissing the client’s answer and counterclaim as sanctions. When Collins did not timely and fully comply with the court’s order, the court imposed an additional sanction of requiring the client to pay opposing counsel’s attorney fees. Collins did not inform the client of his failures or of the court orders. Collins was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee.

Adam M. Everett of Hickory was employed as an assistant district attorney at the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. At approximately 1:00 a.m. on January 1, 2021, Everett knocked on the doors of two neighbors’ apartments. He was openly carrying a holstered pistol and appeared to be impaired. He informed the neighbors that he worked at the DA’s Office and accused the neighbors of using and selling marijuana. Everett asked one neighbor for information related to alleged drug use and drug sales and asked a different neighbor whether he could come into his apartment to “search” and/or “look around.” When the neighbors denied the accusations and access to their apartments, Everett threatened to obtain a search warrant, if necessary. Everett was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee.

Sharon Keyes of Fayetteville represented the executors of an estate in litigation concerning a business entity in which the executors owned a one-third interest. Another party in the litigation, who also owned a one-third interest, was represented by Counsel B. Keyes knew Counsel B entered an appearance in a related partition proceeding but did not notify Counsel B of a scheduled hearing. Keyes visited the business, which is the subject of the litigation, without prior notice to Counsel B and obtained computers and passwords from the wife of Counsel B’s client, who serves as the office manager, by having her sign an asset custody form. Keyes was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee.

Jenifer Boritas McCrea of Ocean Isle Beach represented a client appealing rejection of the client’s creditor claim against an estate. She filed the appeal in superior court, despite having no reason to believe that was the correct forum to appeal the decision of an estate administrator. McCrea voluntarily dismissed the purported appeal and re-filed it the morning of the scheduled appeal hearing but did not tell anyone and did not appear at the hearing. The court determined it lacked jurisdiction and dismissed the appeal. McCrea told the client none of these facts. She did not timely respond to the grievance inquiry. McCrea was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee.

Jenifer Boritas McCrea of Ocean Isle Beach represented a client in a personal injury case. She admitted that she put off the client’s case, failed to communicate with the client, missed filing deadlines, did not timely respond to discovery requests and a motion to compel, did not appear at the hearing on a motion to compel, and should not have agreed to take on the client’s case because she had little experience in superior court. McCrea was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee.

Alton R. Williams of Raleigh was retained to represent Client 1 in a criminal matter and was paid a flat fee. Client 1 terminated the representation after three years and requested a partial refund of the fee, which Williams refused. Client 2 retained Williams in a criminal matter, paid a flat fee, became dissatisfied with Williams’ services and requested a full refund, to which Williams did not respond. Clients 1 and 2 filed fee dispute petitions with the State Bar’s mandatory fee dispute resolution program. In each file, Williams was served with but did not respond to Letters of Notice, failing to participate in good faith in the fee dispute resolution process. Client 3 retained Williams to represent him in a criminal matter. During the representation, Williams was diagnosed with a serious illness and missed one of Client 3’s court dates. The court issued a failure to appear and a warrant for Client 3’s arrest. Client 3 was arrested. Williams was reprimanded by the Grievance Committee.

Completed Petitions for Reinstatement/Stay – Uncontested

In 2019, the DHC suspended Emily C. Moore Tyler of Raleigh for five years. Tyler altered a filed pleading after being told by the court that it could not be corrected, and falsely represented to courthouse staff and judges that someone else altered the filed pleading. With the consent of the OOC, the DHC granted Tyler’s petition for reinstatement.

Completed Petitions for Reinstatement/Stay – Contested

In 2018, the DHC suspended Jeffrey D. Smith of Charlotte for two years, with the ability to seek a stay after one year, for trust account deficiencies and mishandling entrusted funds. After a hearing in June, the DHC denied Smith’s petition for reinstatement.

In 2019, the council disbarred Charles Blackmon of Greensboro for misappropriating entrusted funds to which his employer was entitled. After a May hearing, the DHC recommended that Blackmon’s petition be denied.

In 2019, David R. Payne of Zirconia was disbarred for making false statements to a bank to obtain a loan, resulting in a federal felony conviction. After a hearing in April, the DHC recommended that Payne’s petition be denied. After the decision was rendered but before the DHC entered its written order, Payne filed a notice of voluntary dismissal. On the State Bar’s motion, the DHC vacated the purported dismissal and entered its order. Payne filed notice of appeal to the court of appeals.

In 2018, the DHC suspended Mark V. Gray of Greensboro for four years, with the ability to seek a stay after 18 months. He did not file timely and pay federal and state income taxes and violated multiple trust accounting rules. Gray sought reinstatement but voluntarily dismissed his petition.

Transfers to Disability Inactive Status

Duane S. Miller of Concord, Thomas E. Barwick of Clayton, and Eric R. Inhaber of Charlotte were transferred to disability inactive status by consent orders entered by the chair of the Grievance Committee.

Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel was permanently enjoined from the unauthorized practice of law.

Matthew L. Boney, a federal practitioner with out-of-state licensure, received a letter of caution for failing to clarify his jurisdictional limitations on public communication.

Jhonatan Copete received a letter of caution for advertising legal advice and legal document preparation in immigration matters.

Nadine Coates, a paralegal, received a letter of caution for holding herself out as competent and qualified to provide legal services directly to consumers.