The Supreme Court of Missouri heard oral arguments Monday, Feb. 26, over whether a Phelps County attorney and Rolla’s most recently elected municipal judge should be disbarred over allegations of professional misconduct. The court will next decide if any rules of professional conduct were violated, and if so, the appropriate discipline that should be handed down.
The misconduct allegations stem from a complaint filed against James T. Crump by attorney Jeremy Brown on behalf of the beneficiaries of the Chester Green Trust and the Helen Green Trust. Beginning in 1998, Crump became the successor trustee of two trusts. Crump has also been Rolla’s municipal judge for the past 11 years.
The state supreme court docket summarizes the allegations against Crump by stating he allegedly loaned himself approximately $42,000 from the trusts in May 2017 to pay his law firm’s federal payroll taxes, which were in arrears. Crump had taken the payroll taxes out of his employees’ paychecks but had not remitted them to the government. Crump also allegedly issued himself a promissory note without informing the trusts’ beneficiaries. In December 2017, Crump allegedly loaned himself money from the trusts a second time to pay federal payroll taxes, and again drafted a promissory note of which the beneficiaries were not aware.
The case summary also alleges upon the deaths of both Chester Green and Helen Green, Crump sent the beneficiaries letters purporting to list all the trusts’ outstanding loans. The list included earlier loans Crump received from the trusts but not the loans he made to himself in 2017.
The summary goes on to state, “Crump made a payment of approximately $52,000 from his law firm’s operating account to the trusts for the interest payments on the personal loan. In 2021, the trusts’ beneficiaries hired an attorney, who requested documents pertaining to the trusts’ activities. Crump avoided the attorney for a while but eventually admitted he was not current on his loan payments to the trusts. The chief disciplinary counsel subsequently conducted an audit of Crump’s law firm accounts. The audit showed many irregularities in the transfer of money from his IOLTA account to the trusts. In September 2022, the chief disciplinary counsel sought to discipline Crump, alleging multiple violations of the rules of professional conduct.”
A disciplinary hearing panel earlier concluded Crump violated several rules pertaining to maintenance of IOLTA accounts as well as rules pertaining to conflicts of interest, engaging in deceitful and dishonest conduct, and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. The panel noted disbarment typically would be the appropriate discipline for Crump’s conduct but recommended suspension without leave to apply for reinstatement for three years. Crump and the chief disciplinary counsel rejected the panel’s recommendation in requesting suspension with probation is the appropriate discipline. The chief disciplinary counsel seeks disbarment.
