Charles Williams II cannot practice law in Maine anymore.
LEWISTON – Civil rights lawyer Charles Williams II was disbarred from the practice of law in Maine after a two-day hearing in the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

The Lewiston lawyer did not appear at his hearing last week in the Bangor courthouse, court officials said. The hearing was held April 5 and 6 in Williams’ absence.

In a terse statement, Associate Supreme Court Justice Paul L. Rudman described Williams as dangerous and said the disbarment serves the purpose of protecting others from becoming victims of his malpractice.

“The record establishes that Mr. Williams presents a danger to the public and has demonstrated an inability to follow the clear mandates of the Code of Professional Responsibility,” Rudman wrote.

Court documents show that Williams has moved back to Massachusetts, although he has the right to seek re-instatement to the Maine Bar Association at a later time. Williams could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.

At the hearing last week, the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar presented 28 complaints against Williams. The complaints accused Williams of ethical violations such as forcing a client to perform a sexual act, failing to return phone calls and charging excessive fees.

Amid the mounting complaints against him, Williams was a high-profile figure in the Lewiston area.

In the summer of 2001, police arrested Williams on a charge of driving away from his Park Street office with a suspended license. Not long after, Williams reported someone had left a photograph of a hanging black man on his car. He was unable to produce a copy of the photo for investigators.

Later, Williams reported his office was broken into and that numerous files were stolen. Meanwhile, police and court officials were investigating numerous allegations against the attorney.

Williams was ordered in April 2002 to shut down his Lewiston office. In June 2003, he was ordered to hand over his client files to the Board of Overseers of the Bar.

In his written statement on Tuesday, Justice Rudman noted that the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection has to date paid 10 claims totaling $24,275.89 against Williams. As of March 31, the Board of Overseers of the Bar had incurred witness fees, transcription charges and civil processor fees totaling $5,457.84.

If Williams chooses to seek re-instatement, he will be required to pay back the total amount of those costs to the Overseers of the Bar.

Williams opened a law office in Lewiston about four years ago after moving from Massachusetts. He quickly gained a reputation as an advocate for victims of racial discrimination.

In addition to taking on high-profile cases, including one in which he represented three Sudanese immigrants who sued the Portland Police Department for $100 million, he was hired by dozens of local people involved in minor civil and criminal cases.

Complaints lodged by those clients and by judges and other attorneys prompted the Maine Board of Overseers to investigate.

One of the most serious charges against Williams came from a Minot woman who hired him for a child-custody matter. The woman claimed she had sex with Williams on several occasions in his office and at her home because she felt that she could not refuse his advances.

Other clients alleged that Williams never returned their phone calls, failed to show up in court and, in some cases, over charged them for services never performed.

Created by the supreme court in 1978, the Board of Overseers is responsible for handling complaints of ethical violations against the state’s 4,000 lawyers.
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