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The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Bill Campbell offers
to surrender his license
to practice law
Former mayor will not
appeal conviction on tax evasion
By RHONDA COOK,
ajc.com from the Web, September 21, 2007
Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell
offered Friday to surrender his Georgia license to practice law, acknowledging
he will not appeal his 2006 conviction for federal tax evasion and that his life
as an attorney is over.
Until he filed his surrender notice on Friday, Campbell's Georgia law license
was suspended. The Georgia Supreme Court took that step last November,
five months after he was convicted on three counts of federal tax evasion and
sentenced to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by a year on probation.
Campbell also had to pay the government almost $63,000 in back taxes and a
$6,000 fine. Prosecutors contended Campbell had evaded paying taxes on
about $200,000.
Campbell was acquitted on charges of racketeering and taking bribes while mayor,
an office he held from 1994 until 2002.
The former mayor has had a license to practice law in Georgia since 1977, and he
also had a license in Florida. He moved to Florida after he left office in
Atlanta to work with the firm of noted lawyer Willie Gary. Campbell's
Florida law license was automatically suspended when he was sentenced last year.
Campbell had temporarily surrendered his Georgia law license pending appeal of
his conviction. On Friday, his lawyers announced Campbell will not
challenge the verdict and felony conviction.
Campbell wrote in his application to the Georgia Supreme Court that he
understood that giving up his license was "tantamount to disbarment."
Campbell is in a minimum security facility about 30 miles from Miami.
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