THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 29, 1994 TAG: 9409290481
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JODY R. SNIDER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ISLE OF WIGHT LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
A Smithfield lawyer, whose law license was suspended in March for six months, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of possession of cocaine.
Isle of Wight Circuit Court Judge Rodham T. Delk withheld a guilty finding for David J. Allmond, 41, pending a presentencing report. Delk said the evidence is sufficient to convict Allmond of the charge.
Delk also ordered that Allmond submit to random drug tests between now and his sentencing date, 9:30 a.m. Oct. 26.
A felony conviction could cost Allmond his law license if he cannot show why he should not be disbarred, said Patricia Rios, clerk of the disciplinary system for the Virginia Bar Association.
Rios said 16 lawyers were suspended from their law practices in the fiscal year ending in June. There were also six disbarments, and 13 lawyers surrendered their licenses because of pending charges, Rios said.
``A lot of times when a lawyer knows he's going to be convicted, he'll just give up his license,'' she said.
Although Allmond's six-month suspension ended Sept. 15, Rios said Allmond is ``not in good standing at this moment.''
Allmond's trouble with the state began last October, when the Virginia State Bar issued a public reprimand after an investigation concluded he mismanaged funds stemming from a loan closing.
In May, an Isle of Wight grand jury indicted him on one count of possession of cocaine.
Commonwealth's Attorney W. Parker Councill told the court Wednesday that a deputy sent to arrest Allmond on March 4 at his residence - he was accused of failing to appear in an Arlington court - found a pipe on Allmond containing cocaine residue.
Allmond also was served a summons because he did not appear in court to represent clients in Newport News and Suffolk.
Allmond is free on bond.
KEYWORDS: DRUG ARREST COCAINE TRIAL by CNB