KNOXVILLE (WATE) - The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended the law license of former Knox County Law Director Bill Lockett on Thursday.
Lockett resigned from office on April 8, the same day he pleaded guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars from his former law firm, Kennerly, Montgomery and Finley, P.C., in Knoxville.
The suspension is effective until discipline is imposed, according to Nancy S. Jones, chief disciplinary counsel for the Board of Professional Responsibility.
Jones said the board will contact the current hearing panel that has the pending petition for final discipline of Lockett.
The hearing on that petition is scheduled for June 29 and 30.
The board will ask the panel if they'll agree to consolidate a previous petition for discipline of Lockett and the current suspension order and resolve them at the same time in the June hearing.
Lockett will not serve jail time in the plea deal he agreed to. He will repay the remaining amount he has not already paid, about $32,000, to his former firm and will spend three years on probation. He has until April 2013 to repay the rest.
The plea deal was on a charge of Class C felony theft over $10,000.
Bill Lockett (source: Knox County Sheriff's Office)
