KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) — The state Supreme Court has disbarred a Kennewick attorney charged with stealing nearly $330,000 from clients.
The Tri-City Herald reports that Christoper Lee Neal’s disbarment took effect Thursday. The 43-year-old lawyer had been suspended in 2016 from practicing in Washington state after a client who hired him to handle a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service raised concerns.
Neal was previously disciplined in 2015 for losing a couple’s client file and failing to keep proper records.
He is accused of similar acts by multiple former clients.
A court-ordered mental health evaluation of Neal found that he suffers from an “unspecified depressive disorder,” but he can understand and participate in his defense.