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Thursday, May 31, 2007

Ind. Courts - Fort Wayne attorney suspended after DWI conviction

Dionne Waugh of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports today, in a story that begins:

The Indiana Supreme Court has temporarily suspended a local attorney’s law license after he was convicted of drunken driving and injuring a motorcyclist.

In April, an Allen Superior Court judge sentenced Douglas O. Beerbower, 56, of the 4200 block of Winding Way Drive, to four years in prison for operating a vehicle while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, a felony.

Beerbower, who also has three prior misdemeanor convictions for drunken driving, had been one of the in-house attorneys for Lincoln National Life Insurance for nearly 20 years.

But Beerbower’s felony conviction and temporary suspension do not necessarily mean he’s automatically or permanently barred from practicing law.

The Indiana Disciplinary Commission asked the court to issue the emergency suspension until it is able to investigate further and give Beerbower a chance to respond before having a full hearing in front of the Indiana Supreme Court.

See earlier ILB entry, from April 24, 2007, here.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on May 31, 2007 11:52 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts