WOODY’S LAWYER SUSPENDED – 6 MONTHS

BY KISHA FREDRICK

JONATHAN R. MELNICK SUSPENDED FROM PRACTICING LAW FOR SIX MONTHS

Jonathan Melnick, the attorney for Kenneth Copeland (also known as Lil Woody), was suspended by the Georgia Supreme Court for six months. The suspension is unrelated to his work on the Young Slime Life (YSL) trial.

Instead, it stems from a 2017 child support case in Rockdale County. Melnick failed to inform his client about a motion and subsequent order, which led to the suspension.

The court’s decision highlighted that Melnick did not act with a dishonest or selfish motive and was cooperative with the disciplinary authorities (extremely positive notation).

However, his failure to notify his client about the court proceedings and not filing a motion to withdraw from the case were significant factors in the suspension.

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Status Descriptions

Active Member In Good Standing
Member who paid active license fees for the current bar year*, is in good standing** and is eligible to engage in the active practice of law in Georgia.

Administrative Suspension – License Fees
Member who has not paid license fees for a period of no less than one or greater than five consecutive bar years; not eligible to practice law in Georgia, but eligible for reinstatement by specific steps mandated in bar rules, but will not be required to take bar exam to reinstate.

CLE Suspension – Noncompliance
Member who has been suspended by Supreme Court Order for non-compliance with Continuing Legal Education rules and regulations; therefore, they are ineligible to practice law in Georgia.

CLE and Administrative Suspensions
Member has dual suspensions. See CLE Suspension and Administrative Suspension.

CLE Suspension and Unpaid License Fees
Member currently ineligible to practice law in Georgia due to Bar license fees being unpaid and also CLE Suspended for non-compliance with Continuing Legal Education rules and regulations. Eligible for reinstatement by payment of license fees and CLE compliance.

Deceased
Members who have died, but record is retained in system.

Disbarment
Member who has been disbarred or voluntarily surrendered their license pending disciplinary action by Supreme Court Order. A form of public discipline where the attorney is ineligible to practice law in Georgia. This level of discipline is appropriate in cases of serious ethical misconduct. Disbarred attorneys are ineligible to practice law in Georgia.

Emeritus Member
Any member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia who will attain the age of 70 years in a Bar year and who shall have been admitted to the practice of law for at least 25 years, five years of which must be as a member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia. An emeritus member shall not be privileged to practice law except that an emeritus member may handle pro bono cases referred by either an organized pro bono program recognized by the Pro Bono Resource Center of the State Bar of Georgia or a nonprofit corporation that delivers legal services to the poor.

Foreign Law Consultant
Certified by Office of Bar Admissions to practice in Georgia only in regard to law of country in which he is admitted.

Foreign Law Consultant Uncertified
This member’s certification for Foreign Law Consultant has lapsed and they are no longer eligible to practice in Georgia in regards to law of the country in which he/she is admitted.

Inactive Member in Good Standing***
Member who is in good standing, paid inactive license fees, but by member’s election is currently not eligible to practice law in Georgia. Eligible to activate membership; includes members found to be permanently disabled. (This status does not permit the member to practice law in Georgia.)

OGC Suspension
Member who has been suspended by Supreme Court order. A form of public discipline where the attorney is ineligible to practice law in Georgia for a definite period of time or until satisfaction of certain conditions imposed as a part of the suspension.

OGC and CLE Suspensions
Member has dual suspensions. See OGC Suspension and CLE Suspension.

OGC/CLE/Administrative Suspensions
Member has multiple suspensions. See each suspension type for more information.

OGC Suspension and Unpaid License Fees
Member is under OGC Suspension (see above) and has unpaid license fees.

Provisional Member
Member who has been approved by the Georgia Office of Bar Admissions to provisionally practice law before taking and passing the Bar Exam due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, pursuant to Supreme Court of Georgia order “Provisional Admission to the Practice of Law in Georgia.” Provisional members may only practice under the supervision of another attorney.

Membership Expired
This status relates to the Provisional Member described above when 

• The person provisionally admitted to the practice of law fails to register to sit for the second Georgia bar examination after such person applied for provisional admission;
• The certification of fitness for the person provisionally admitted to the practice of law is revoked or suspended; or
• The person provisionally admitted to the practice of law fails the Georgia bar examination.

Resigned CLE Deficient
A member not in good standing due to Continuing Legal Education deficiency who chose to resign their membership; therefore, is not eligible to practice law in Georgia. (Resignation requires Executive Committee approval.)

Resigned CLE/License Fees Deficient
A member not in good standing due to Continuing Legal Education deficiency and unpaid membership license fees deficiency who chose to resign their membership; therefore, is not eligible to practice law in Georgia; (Resignation requires Executive Committee approval.)

Resigned License Fees Deficient
A member not in good standing due to unpaid membership license fees deficiency who chose to resign their membership; therefore, is not eligible to practice law in Georgia; (Resignation requires Executive Committee approval.)

Resigned Membership
A member in good standing who chose to resign their membership; therefore, is not eligible to practice law in Georgia. (Resignation requires Executive Committee approval.) (This status does not permit the member to practice law in Georgia.)

Retired Status
This member has retired from the practice of law and is not engaged in the active practice of law in any state, district or territory of the United States.

Suspension – Non-payment of Child Support
A Bar member who has willfully refused, as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction under the procedures of O.G.C.A. § 19-6-28.1, to timely pay a child support obligation and continues such refusal for thirty days after said determination becomes final; not eligible to practice, but eligible for reinstatement by specific steps mandated in Bar Rules.

Suspension – OGC and Administrative
Member has dual suspensions. See OGC Suspension and Administrative Suspension – License Fees.

Terminated – Nonpayment of License Fees
Member delinquent in license fees payment for greater than 5 consecutive bar years; the membership is automatically terminated and member will be required to take bar exam before being eligible to practice law in Georgia again. Terminated members are not eligible to practice law in Georgia. Member is not eligible for reciprocity.

Unpaid License Fees – Ineligible to Practice
Member who is not in good standing and not eligible to practice because of unpaid license fees. Eligible for reinstatement by payment of license fees.

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*Current Bar Year
The annual fiscal year of the State Bar of Georgia runs July 1 of the current calendar year through June 30 of the following calendar year. Annual license fees for membership in the State Bar shall be due and payable on July 1 of each year. Upon the failure of a member to pay the license fee by September 1, the member shall cease to be a member in good standing.

**Good Standing
A person shall not be deemed a member in good standing if delinquent in annual license fees; suspended for disciplinary reasons; while disbarred; while suspended for failure to comply with continuing legal education requirements; or while in violation of Bar Rule 1-200 for failure to pay child support obligations.

***Inactive Member
All lawyers who are neither engaged in the practice of law nor holding themselves out as practicing attorneys, nor occupying any public or private position in which they may be called upon to give legal advice or counsel or to examine the law or to pass upon the legal effect of any act, document, or law may be inactive members at their election. All inactive members shall pay annual license fees; be exempt from continuing legal education requirements for period that they are inactive, affirmatively represent their status as inactive members of the State Bar of Georgia when any statement of State Bar membership is made; not hold themselves out as being able to practice law in Georgia or render advice on matters of Georgia law; not hold any position that requires the person to be a licensed Georgia attorney; keep the membership department advised of their current name, address and phone number; an inactive member in good standing may on application become an active member by payment of active license fees for the year of activation and complying with an CLE requirements. A member found to be permanently disabled by the Social Security Administration has the same privileges as an inactive member but the requirement to pay license fees is waived.