Fair process in lawyer discipline
Pisner v. Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland
In brief
- Where it stands
- Dismissed
Petition denied.
- What it’s about
- Gary Pisner asks whether Maryland lawyer-discipline courts may rely on factual findings in a disbarment case despite alleged due-process defects, and whether they must address those defects and related misconduct claims before hearing evidence.
- Who it affects
- Pisner received no Supreme Court review, and the Court made no ruling on his due-process claims.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.

What it's about
The underlying dispute concerns findings in a Maryland lawyer-discipline proceeding involving possible disbarment.
Question presented
1. Whether the court that has jurisdiction over lawyer disciplinary matters can issue an opinion containing finding of facts and conclusions of law relating to disbarring an attorney after refusing to address extensive, constitutionally mandated due process deficiencies? 2. Whether the court that has jurisdiction over lawyer disciplinary matters can use finding of facts and conclusions of law generated by a lower court or administrative entity, in a disbarment proceeding, after that lower court or administrative entity either refuses to address extensive constitutionally mandated due process deficiencies or claims that it lacked the jurisdiction to cure the referenced constitutionally mandated due process deficiencies and nevertheless generates a constitutionally defective product? 3. Can a court assign and use a finding of facts and conclusion of law of a state entity when there are unaddressed, outstanding related prosecutorial misconduct vindictive prosecution and other issues related to that state entity? 4. Must a lawyer disciplinary proceeding address all Constitutional Due Process issues before the evidentiary proceedings that were raised at the start to avoid interjecting false and prejudicial material, which could undermine constitutional rights and procedural remedies in the future?
Documents
Docket activity
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Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.