Attorney L.D. Sledge Disbarred

For 43 years L.D. Sledge has been a practicing attorney. Many of you know him because of his commercials. But you won't see Sledge advertising his services as a lawyer anymore. He has been disbarred by the State Supreme Court.

"This testimony of these two ladies was taken by the court over my testimony that I was mismanaging my office," said Sledge. "But not one file was produced to show that things were messed up or that people were complaining."

Sledge says it was in 1994 when he had a meltdown. That's when his 13-year-old son Jake was killed in a car accident. "After that things went to hell. My mom committed suicide within the year. I got a divorce within the year. I'm not trying to apply for sympathy but I was a basket case," said Sledge.

Sledge says he needed to heal and periodically took time off from work. "I would call every day , two or three days. All my clients knew. But they were taken care of and everyone was just happy."

However, when Sledge came back he says his employees left and filed for unemployment. He opposed it and says that's when they filed complaints against him with the Bar Association. The complaints included mismanaging his staff and giving money and gifts like hams to clients for referrals. Sledge does not shy away from the mistakes he made.

"It was unethical for me to give money to clients. Yes. I shouldn't' have done that," said Sledge.

Sledge says he gave his long time clients money when they were financially strapped but says he would never do that again. Even though he can reapply to the Bar Association in five years, He says he won't because by that time he'll be 74 years old. Instead, he is going to find something else to do perhaps become an insurance agent.

Meanwhile, Sledge's law office can no longer operate under his name. Sledge's partner of two years, Russell Beall, will take over the office's 150 cases that are still pending. Beall says clients will be taken care of.