New Orleans, La - One of the New Orleans City Council candidates is accused of violating rules of professional conduct. The Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board is investigating James Gray after four different people lodged complaints against him.
For years, Peggy Burns has lived in and cleaned up a commercial property in Jefferson Parish, that used to belong to her father. He passed away in 1994 but with no will left behind, Burns started a legal fight to become administrator of her father's estate.
But then, she says, some of her 16 siblings, came calling...trying to get a piece of the property, so, she hired attorney James Gray. She hoped Gray would help her keep the property along with a plot of land in Kenner.
"He told me he could do it and he'd get back with me and he enrolled as my attorney of record. He told me how much to pay him, I paid. We negotiated about the price, he told me I could pay $500 a month and I did," Burns said.
Burns hired Gray in May of 2009. In January, Burns says Gray went to court, and met with a judge presiding over the case behind closed doors. She explains, "He told me he'd get back with me because they were going to try and come to an agreement and settle out of court with the other heirs, with the siblings." Burns says that's the last time she ever saw James Gray.
Peggy Burns tells FOX 8 she wrote Gray numerous letters, asking him to return her calls. She says she'd already paid him $3900 and yet Gray never told her what became of her case.
So, an entire year later, when she still couldn't get a hold of James Gray, Burns filed a complaint with the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board. "They said they were going to file formal charges against him because of his conduct, misconduct for not representing me properly," Burns said.
The board investigated, and that's exactly what they did. In a letter dated August 1, 2012, Deputy Disciplinary Counsel Yolanda Cezar informed Burns the board concluded a violation of the rules of professional conduct occurred.
"It made me feel good but it still didn't go nowhere with me. I'm still stuck," Burns commented.
On August 15th, Gray registered to run for the city council district E seat, vacated by Jon Johnson.
Peggy Burns says she was shocked to hear the man she hasn't been able to get into contact with for years, is running for public office.
At this point, she just wants to move on saying, "I really want my money and my file so I can go on with my life."
In response to the charges filed against him, Gray wrote to the disciplinary counsel and told them Peggy Burns didn't pay him all of the money he was owed. She disputes this.
A hearing will be held by the disciplinary counsel and the information will be passed along to the State Supreme Court. They will decide if James Gray should be punished for allegedly violating the rules of professional conduct.
City Council candidate James Gray
