Why My Robbery Conviction and Disbarment Make Me a Better Lawyer

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In 2003 I committed a robbery at a Smith’s supermarket in Salt Lake City. I took two steaks. I was charged with first degree armed robbery.

While I was out on bail, I worked as a public defender in Washington County, representing people charged with crimes while I was facing my own. On March 9, 2004 I pled guilty to robbery as a second degree felony. The Utah State Bar’s Office of Professional Conduct began disbarment proceedings, and I was disbarred in 2005.

I completed my probation. In 2008 the court reduced the conviction under Utah Code section 76-3-402. The conviction of record is now a class A misdemeanor. It has not been expunged, and I am not asking anyone to overlook it. There is no outstanding restitution and no supervision.

For the next twenty-one years I lived a regular life. I worked as a cook. I washed dishes. Eventually I taught tennis for a living.

In 2024 I applied to the Utah State Bar for readmission as a disbarred attorney. I retook and passed the Utah bar exam in February 2025. After an extensive character and fitness investigation, a hearing, and a petition to the district court, I got my license back in August 2025.

Why this makes me better at defending you

Very few attorneys can look you in the eye and say they have been where you are. Arrested. Charged. Booked. Judged by everyone who heard about it. I can.

And I was lucky. I could afford an excellent criminal defense attorney, Greg Skordas, still one of the best in Utah. My outcome was better because my representation was good. That is the lesson my practice is built on: everyone deserves effective representation, whether money is tight or not.

When you call me, you are not explaining yourself to someone who will quietly judge you. You are talking to someone who knows exactly how heavy this feels, and who knows from both sides of the table how much a good defense matters.

Why I handle expungements and 402 reductions

I got my own 402 reduction. I know what the paperwork is, what the court is weighing, and what it feels like to wait on it. If you completed your probation and you are trying to get a conviction reduced or cleared, that is work I do, and I have been on your side of it.

What a 402 reduction is and who qualifies →
Utah expungement: are you eligible? →

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Contact an attorney to discuss your specific situation.