February 2026 Discipline

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These lawyers were the subject of Louisiana Supreme Court disciplinary orders or Louisiana Attorney Discipline Board recommendations published during the month of February 2026.

Louisiana Supreme Court

  1. Wynnifred Lashawn Sanders (No. 2026-B-00147). The court granted the joint petition for interim suspension. The respondent and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel jointly petitioned for her interim suspension pending further orders of the court.
  2. James Vernon Petersen (No. 2025-B-01556). The court suspended the respondent for one year, with the suspension deferred in its entirety, subject to probation for a period to coincide with the term of his recovery agreement with the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program. The respondent pleaded guilty to misdemeanor domestic abuse battery. In so doing, the respondent violated Rule 8.4(b).
  3. Muriel Offan Van Horn (No. 2025-B-01564). The court suspended the respondent for eighteen months. The respondent failed to respond to ODC complaints, failed to perform work she was retained to do on behalf of incarcerated clients seeking post-conviction relief, misrepresented to clients that filings had been made when they had not, failed to refund unearned fees, allowed prescriptive periods to lapse without filing, concealed missed deadlines from clients, and conditioned the return of fees on clients signing agreements waiving malpractice claims without advising them to seek independent counsel. In so doing, the respondent violated Rules 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5(f)(5), 1.8(a), 1.8(h), 1.15(a), 1.16(d), 3.2, 8.1(b), 8.1(c), 8.4(a), 8.4(c), and 8.4(d). Justices McCallum, Cole, and Penzato dissented, finding the discipline too lenient.

LADB Hearing Committees

  1. Gregory Joseph St. Angelo (No. 19-DB-056). Hearing Committee #46 recommended that the respondent be permanently disbarred. The respondent, who served as general counsel of First NBC Bank from approximately 2006 to 2016, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349; he and others submitted false personal financial statements to the bank, obtained loans through nominees for personal benefit, executed loan documents knowing their stated purposes were false, and conspired to cause the bank to disburse approximately $9.6 million in fictitious tax credit investments, contributing to the bank’s failure in April 2017 with outstanding loan balances attributable to the respondent and related entities of approximately $46.7 million. In so doing, the respondent violated Rules 8.4(b) and 8.4(c).
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