Well-Known Attorney Quits Over Misconduct Charges
An attorney who represented clients in a number of very well known cases in our area has resigned from practicing law, after a number of misconduct allegations surfaced.
John R. Crowley, according to the Tri-City Herald, cannot practice law anymore in jurisdictions where he was licensed. His resignation from the Bar Association came Monday.
This includes federal and all other courts. He resigned rather than defend himself against the accusations from the Washington State Bar Association. There are five cases in question and a total of 20 counts of misconduct, but none involve any cases in the Mid Columbia.
Crowley is accused of, in once case, pocketing $23,500 from a client facing drug and gun charges, but the complaint says he little or no work and often had other attorneys stand in for him. In another case, he was supposed to represent a man accused of computer equipment theft. But he gave him the 'run around', even telling him to show up in court but didn't show up himself. He reportedly delayed the investigating detective with lies and misleading information. The charges involve activity in Idaho federal court, as well as Kittitas, Island, Pierce and King Counties.
Crowley represented Tyree Q. Houfmuse in the 2015 shooting outside a Kennewick bar that left the ex-boyfriend of Hourmuse's girlfriend paralyzed. He also represented in 2014 Kenneth Baird, one of four Hanford workers accused of timecard fraud. Baird was acquitted. However, one of his clients, John C.I. Young, lost his appeal in the July 4, 2013 fatal Horn Rapids area shooting of Joshua Snapp. Young later claimed Crowley was ineffective as his attorney. He was involved in two other prominent area cases as well.
He currently had no active cases in either Benton or Franklin County.