On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, a three-member committee recommended that the probation of Kenneth L. Blackwell, a member of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals Bar, be revoked due to his failure to comply with the conditions of his probation. The Ad Hoc Hearing Committee, appointed by the Board on Professional Responsibility, suggested that Blackwell’s law license be suspended for four months, the period that was previously stayed, and that his reinstatement be contingent upon providing proof of fulfilled child support obligations.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Kenneth L. Blackwell,” with case number 24-BD-037.
Blackwell was initially disciplined for violating D.C. Rules of Professional Conduct 3.4(c) and 8.1(a). These violations stemmed from knowingly disobeying court orders regarding child support payments and making a false statement to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
In 2023, the Court of Appeals ordered a six-month suspension, staying all but 60 days, and imposed a three-year probation with conditions related to child support obligations and arrearages. The current motion to revoke probation, referred to as “Blackwell II,” was initiated due to Blackwell’s alleged failure to meet these probationary terms.
Disciplinary Counsel filed the motion to revoke Blackwell’s probation on June 24, 2024, asserting that he continued to disregard his responsibilities under the Court of Appeals’ August 10, 2023, order and the Board’s September 11, 2023, probation agreement. Blackwell responded on July 1, 2024, claiming the motion was without merit and that the proposed sanctions were unfair.
The Court of Appeals referred the motion to a hearing committee on July 5, 2024. The Ad Hoc Hearing Committee, comprising Mary Kuntz, John Johnson, and Paul Smolinsky, conducted a pre-hearing on September 25, 2024, and held hearings on October 30, November 1, 2024, and February 20, 2025.
The committee found that Blackwell did not begin making monthly child support payments within 30 days of the August 10, 2023, order, as required. He made no payments in 2023 and only one payment of $100 in October 2024. The committee also determined that Blackwell did not provide Disciplinary Counsel with a payment schedule or regular statements from the Virginia Division of Child Support Enforcement (VDCSE) demonstrating compliance.
Blackwell argued that he was unable to make payments to the VDCSE and believed he was obligated to pay Ms. Cinzia Allen, the mother seeking the child support, directly, based on a Maryland court order from December 2010. However, the committee noted that Blackwell did not seek a modification of his child support obligations, despite being aware that the Court of Appeals and the Board permitted him to do so.
The committee also questioned Blackwell’s claim that he only realized he could make payments through the D.C. Office of Child Support in October 2024, given his experience as a family law attorney and his familiarity with the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act.
In mitigation, Blackwell contended that he had made efforts to be involved in his child’s life beyond financial support and that Ms. Allen had interfered with his relationship with their child. However, he acknowledged that he made no child support payments during his probation, except for the $100 payment in October 2024.
The Ad Hoc Hearing Committee concluded that Disciplinary Counsel had proven by a preponderance of the evidence that Blackwell violated Conditions 2 and 3 of his probation. The committee recommended that Blackwell’s probation be revoked, his law license be suspended for four months, and his reinstatement be contingent on fulfilling his child support obligations.
According to Avvo, Mr. Blackwell is a family lawyer in Washington, DC. He acquired his law license in DC in 1994.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
