EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A West Texas lawyer who in 2007 was the first person convicted in an El Paso public corruption scandal has resurfaced after years of being absent from public life.
The El Paso Times (http://bit.ly/YAm8gd ) reported Sunday that John Travis Ketner now practices law in San Antonio after having his license suspended for five years.
He recently published in the Texas Bar Journal an article titled "The Top 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Began Practicing Law."
In the article, Ketner talked about ethics and how important it is for young lawyers to find the right mentor. "If you cannot find someone, call me and I promise to help you," Ketner wrote.
Ketner pleaded guilty in 2007 to conspiracy counts related to bribery and fraud. He was chief of staff for a now-former county judge, Anthony Cobos, who faces trial later this year on corruption charges.
"Once appointed as chief of staff, (Ketner) was advised by (Cobos) that his primary job responsibility would be to find opportunities in which (Cobos and other people also indicted,) could receive compensation from vendors seeking contracts with the county, seeking contract renewals with the county and/or seeking contract retention with the county regardless of non-performance or lack of competence as the vendor on the contract," says Ketner's guilty plea.
He lost his law license for more than five years until Sept. 2012. His federal criminal sentence remains under seal. But it appears he was not sentenced to prison time, because a Texas Supreme Court decision states that lawyers who are sentenced to time in prison must be disbarred.
More than two dozen people have been charged in the public corruption case in which a network public officials, businessmen and lawyers conspired to get city and county contracts in exchange of bribes.
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Information from: El Paso Times, http://www.elpasotimes.com
