The NORTH CAROLINA STATE BAR v. Ethridge

CALABRIA, Judge.

James B. Ethridge (“defendant”) appeals the order of a panel of the Disciplinary Hearing Commission (“DHC”) disbarring him from the practice of law. We affirm.

Defendant received a license to practice law in the State of North Carolina in 1973. In 2004, after practicing law for over thirty years in North Carolina, defendant was elected district court judge. On 16 August 2001, Rosalind W. Sweet (“Ms. Sweet”) met with defendant in his law office in Smithfield, North Carolina for assistance to safeguard property she owned. At the time of this meeting, Ms. Sweet was 69 years old…