Advocate Discipline

Texas, United States

Sidney Powell: disciplinary decision

Decision, 17 April 2024No discipline imposed. The 116th Judicial District Court in Dallas County granted summary judgment for Powell in the disciplinary suit brought by the Commission for Lawyer Discipline (Cause No. DC-22-02562). On 17 April 2024 the Dallas Court of Appeals affirmed that judgment in Commission for Lawyer Discipline v. Powell, No. 05-23-00497-CV, stating "we affirm the trial court's judgment."1,2

Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas at Dallas, on appeal from the 116th Judicial District Court, Dallas County, and the Board of Disciplinary Appeals of Texas

What the decision found

The Commission alleged that Powell violated Texas disciplinary rules on candour and dishonesty in lawsuits challenging the 2020 election results. The appeals court held that the Commission offered no evidence that Powell knowingly made a false statement and said that "dishonesty involves some conscious perversion of truth." It found that the Commission had not properly put several exhibits before the trial court.1,2

Response

Her disciplinary attorney Bob Holmes told CNN: "Simply put, The Trial Court followed the law, and the appellate court affirmed the Trial Court's judgment!" A spokesperson for the Commission declined to comment and said it had not decided its next steps.2

Appeal and later events

According to a motion filed by Powell, the Commission filed a separate compulsory discipline petition with the Board of Disciplinary Appeals (Case No. 69537) on 31 July 2024, based on her 19 October 2023 pleas to six misdemeanours in Georgia. Bloomberg Law reported that on Friday 31 January 2025, at the end of a hearing in Austin, the Board ruled that she is not subject to compulsory discipline because the Georgia misdemeanours do not meet the definition of a serious crime under Texas law. Above the Law reported on 5 February 2025 that the Board dismissed the Commission's motion and that she faces no discipline.3,4,5

Status now

No discipline imposed. The first Texas disciplinary suit ended in her favour (affirmed 17 April 2024). The Board of Disciplinary Appeals declined to impose compulsory discipline on 31 January 2025, according to Bloomberg Law and Above the Law.1,4,5

This site covers only lawyers whose cases were widely reported and decided in published rulings. Each record states the decision exactly as the body made it, and any appeal or later change.

Sources

  1. Court of Appeals for the Fifth District of Texas at Dallas (copy hosted by Reuters), Commission for Lawyer Discipline v. Powell, No. 05-23-00497-CV, memorandum opinion (17 April 2024)
  2. CNN via ABC17 News, Texas appeals court sides with Sidney Powell, rejecting attorney discipline over her Trump election lawsuits (22 April 2024)
  3. Filing by counsel for Sidney Powell (copy hosted by States United), Respondent's motion to dismiss, Commission for Lawyer Discipline v. Powell, BODA Case No. 69537 (10 October 2024)
  4. Bloomberg Law, Trump ally Sidney Powell escapes Texas bar sanctions again (31 January 2025)
  5. Above the Law, Kraken lawyer slips out of discipline for election 2020 interference (5 February 2025)