Lawyer censured for dealings with judge

State Bar says he could have harmed profession

(Winston-Salem Journal) - The N.C. State Bar has censured Clarke Dummit, a Winston-Salem lawyer, for misconduct relating to letters he sent to prospective clients and his business relationship with a judge in Surry District Court.

In an order filed in Wake County in July, the disciplinary hearing commission of the State Bar found that Dummit mailed letters to people who had received traffic tickets in Surry County, implying that he had a relationship with Judge Mark Badgett that allowed him to get favorable results for his clients. At the time, Dummit rented a building in King from Badgett.

"Dummit's misconduct had the potential to cause significant harm to the administration of justice and to the profession as a whole," wrote the hearing committee, which is led by Sharon Alexander.