Former Midland County Assistant District Lawyer Ralph Petty has surrendered his law license after an purchase from the Texas Supreme Courtroom since of expert misconduct in the course of the Clinton Youthful money murder demo.
In accordance to an buy from the Texas Supreme Court on April 13, Petty’s bar card was canceled, and he is now prohibited from practising regulation in the point out of Texas. Petty surrendered his license in lieu of even more disciplinary action, the purchase states.
Petty is at the center of an attraction scenario for Young, who was convicted for the murders of Doyle Douglas, 41, and Samuel Petrey, 52, in 2003 for the use of their automobiles all through a 48-hour crime spree. Younger has been on demise row considering that his conviction, but his legal professionals have argued that his proper to due approach was violated.
Though operating on Young’s prosecution, Petty also moonlighted as a judicial clerk for the identical trial. This designed conflicting roles and gave Petty accessibility to private information for the protection, in accordance to an belief from the Midland County 385th District Court recommending a new trial.
Judge Sid Harle, who was sitting down by assignment in the Midland County 385th District Courtroom, proposed in April that Young’s conviction be overturned mainly because of Petty’s dual part, which he said demonstrated that Young’s appropriate to a good continuing had been violated.
Young was convicted of killing Douglas and Petrey to steal their cars as portion of a methamphetamine-fueled crime spree with three other gentlemen, in accordance to information reviews. Petrey was kidnapped in his hometown of Eastland and killed in an oilfield close to Midland.
Midland County District Legal professional Laura Nodolf, who took office in January 2017, reported in a prior statement to the Reporter-Telegram that she was not knowledgeable of Petty’s conflicting roles until finally after he retired in 2019. She explained she promptly disclosed the information and facts to Young’s attorneys just after she discovered of it.
As aspect of Petty’s disbarment, he need to straight away notify his present consumers and opposing counsel for ongoing circumstances, in accordance to the Texas Supreme Courtroom buy. He need to also notify just about every justice of the peace, judge, magistrate and judge in courts wherever he has pending issues.
The writ filed by Young’s lawyers in September 2020 is the fifth writ Younger has submitted searching for aid from a judgement of loss of life. The suggestion by the 385th District Courtroom will be thought of by the Texas Courtroom of Felony Appeals.