The Mississippi Bar v. Jeffrey Dixon Knight

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Serial: 233476 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF MISSISSIPPI No. 2020-BD-00428-SCT THE MISSISSIPPI BAR v. JEFFREY DIXON KNIGHT Order of Disbarment ¶1. Before the Court, en banc, is the Mississippi Bar’s formal complaint seeking disbarment of Jeffrey Dixon Knight under Rules 6(a) and (d) of the Rules of Discipline for the Mississippi State Bar. Knight, a member of the Mississippi Bar subject to the disciplinary jurisdiction of the Court and its designated disciplinary agencies, was personally served with the Formal Complaint on May 11, 2020. Knight did not respond. The Court, having fully considered the Formal Complaint with attached sentencing order, finds as follows: ¶2. Knight pleaded guilty in the Circuit Court of Rankin County, Mississippi, to the crimes of possession of more than two (2) grams but less than ten (10) grams of methamphetamine as a lesser included offense of possession of more than two (2) grams but less than ten (10) grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possession of more than one-tenth gram but less than two (2) grams of methamphetamine, felonies under Mississippi Code Section 41-29-139(b)(1)(B) (Rev. 2018). The trial court sentenced Knight to serve a term of five years on probation under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. ¶3. Under Rule 6(a) of the Rules of Discipline, a plea of guilty to a felony mandates that the Court strike the name of the attorney and order his immediate suspension from the practice of law. Miss. R. Discipline 6(a). Furthermore, Rule 6(d) of the Rules of Discipline mandates that the Court enter an order of disbarment when the time for appeal from judgment expires. Miss. R. Discipline 6(d). The Court has stated that disbarment “serves to help preserve the dignity and reputation of the legal profession and also ensures protection of the public from such conduct.” Miss. Bar v. Murphy, 675 So. 2d 845, 845 (Miss. 1996) (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting In re Baker, 649 So. 2d 850, 853 (Miss. 1995)). ¶4. IT IS, THEREFORE, ORDERED as follows: 1. Jeffrey Dixon Knight is hereby disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Mississippi, and his name shall be immediately removed from the rolls of the Mississippi Bar; 2. The Clerk of the Supreme Court of Mississippi (the Clerk) shall immediately forward to the attorneys of record for each party herein a copy of the Order of Disbarment and shall send a copy to Knight by certified mail, return receipt requested; 3. The Clerk shall immediately forward an attested copy of the Order of Disbarment to the Clerks of the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi, to the Clerk of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and to the Clerk of the Supreme Court of the United States; 4. The Clerk shall immediately forward an attested copy of the Order of Disbarment to the judges of the circuit, chancery, and county courts of the districts where Knight resided and practiced law, with 2 instructions to include a copy of the judgment upon the minutes of their respective courts; 5. The Clerk shall forward an attested copy of the Order of Disbarment to the Executive Director of the Mississippi Bar; 6. Knight is ereby enjoined from practicing law in Mississippi; from holding himself out as an attorney at law; from performing any legal service for others; from accepting any fee directly or indirectly for legal services to be performed for others; from appearing as counsel or in any representative capacity in any proceeding in any Court of the State of Mississippi, or before any administrative body or agency thereof; and from holding himself out to others as or using his name in any manner, in conjunction with the phrases “attorney at law,” “attorney,” “counselor at law,” “counselor,” or “lawyer,” for the period of disbarment until such time as he is reinstated to the practice of law in this State by the Supreme Court of Mississippi; 7. Within ten (10) days of receipt of the Order of Disbarment, Knight shall notify in writing each of his Mississippi clients of his disbarment and of his consequent inability to act as an attorney and shall advise each such client to promptly substitute another attorney or attorneys in his place or to seek legal counsel elsewhere; 8. Knight shall return all files, papers, monies, and other properties belonging to his Mississippi clients in his possession, if any such clients request same after receiving notification from him. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of the Order of Disbarment, Knight shall file with the Court an Affidavit stating that all current Mississippi clients have been notified of his disbarment and that all files, papers, monies, and other property belonging to such clients have been returned; and showing in the cases in which it was not possible to notify such clients or return their property, that due diligence was used to do so; and 9. Within ten (10) days of receipt of the Order of Disbarment, Knight shall notify every attorney and adverse party in any Mississippi proceeding in which he is involved and all affected Courts and agencies, of his disbarment and consequent inability to act as an attorney. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of the Order of Disbarment, Knight shall file with the Court an Affidavit stating that all attorneys or adverse parties in any such proceeding in which he is involved, and all 3 affected Courts and agencies, have been notified of his disbarment and consequent inability to act as an attorney. 10. The Bar is entitled to be reimbursed for the actual costs and expenses incurred in the prosecution of Jeffrey Dixon Knight under Rule 27 of the Rules of Discipline for the Mississippi State Bar. Knight shall reimburse the Mississippi State Bar in the amount of Two Hundred and Ninety Dollars ($290.00) within thirty (30) days of the entry of the instant order. ¶5. SO ORDERED, this the 22nd day of October, 2020. /s/ Josiah Dennis Coleman JOSIAH DENNIS COLEMAN, JUSTICE FOR THE COURT 4

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