Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 20, 1993                   TAG: 9311200183
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

HIGH COURT UPHOLDS BAR REVOCATION

Neely, 43, of Christiansburg had voluntarily surrendered his license in March, after he was convicted of using his law practice to help smuggle drugs and launder drug profits. The Virginia State Bar revoked it April 5.

Neely appealed the revocation to the state Supreme Court.

His lawyer, Max Jenkins, said Neely had reached an agreement with the bar's disciplinary board to surrender the license because of an earlier conviction for possessing cocaine, for which he was on probation.

However, Neely thought he was giving up his license for only a year.

When the state bar said it had no authority to change the revocation, the matter was appealed the state Supreme Court.

But the court decided there had been no error in the state bar's decision, Jenkins said.

If Neely wishes, he can petition the Supreme Court directly to have his license restored. When deciding law license restorations, the court can decide either to restore the license or, as is usually the case, refer the matter back to the state bar, Jenkins said.