Charles Williams III is still waiting for a hearing to determine whether he will be disbarred.
LEWISTON – Former civil rights attorney Charles Williams III has been forced to hand over his clients’ files.
Charged with ethical violations that range from failing to return phone calls to having sex with a client, Williams was ordered in April 2002 to shut down his Lewiston office until he appears before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court for a final hearing.
The hearing, which has not been scheduled, could result in his permanent disbarment.
Williams’ files have been transferred to the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar. Former clients can obtain their paperwork by contacting the board’s offices in Augusta.
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 as well as by judges and other attorneys prompted the Maine Board of Overseers to investigate the Lewiston attorney.
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, overcharged 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. The most serious allegations require a hearing before the state’s highest court.
Williams’ final hearing was postponed last January when he filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, the Maine Attorney General’s Office and the Board of Overseers.
Claiming that the state’s bar rules violated his due process rights, he asked the federal court to order the state to reinstate his license and expunge his disciplinary record.
The lawsuit was dismissed last February after a U.S. District Court judge ruled that federal court doesn’t have jurisdiction to review state court matters. Williams appealed the decision to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, but his appeal was denied.
He now has the option of petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case, said Assistant Attorney General Christopher Taub.
It is unknown if Williams plans to pursue this option. Court documents show that he has moved back to Massachusetts, and he could not be reached Wednesday.
At Williams’ request, his final disciplinary hearing before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court will not be scheduled until his lawsuit is completely resolved.
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