On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, the Hearing Committee #5 of the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board recommended a suspension of one year and one day for attorney Stacey L. Thomas. This decision was prompted by her failure to cooperate with an investigation conducted by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC).
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Stacey L. Thomas,” with case no. 25-DB-003.
The disciplinary action stems from formal charges filed by the ODC on January 3, 2025, alleging that Thomas violated Rules 1.1(c) and 8.1(c) of the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct. Rule 1.1(c) mandates compliance with annual registration requirements, including timely updates to address changes, while Rule 8.1(c) prohibits failing to cooperate with the ODC during disciplinary investigations. Thomas is already under suspension from a prior disciplinary action in 2014.
The ODC initiated its investigation following a complaint lodged by Bruce Johnson on October 30, 2023. The ODC attempted to contact Thomas multiple times, sending correspondence to her registered addresses and email on November 8 and December 11, 2023. These attempts were unsuccessful, with mail returned as undeliverable due to issues such as a disabled mailbox or vacant address. Certified mail sent to her secondary address was accepted on December 26, 2023, but Thomas did not respond by the January 10, 2024, deadline.
On May 16, 2024, during a phone call with the ODC, Thomas acknowledged receiving the complaint but admitted she had not responded. Despite being granted extensions until June 6 and June 21, 2024, to submit a response, she provided only a brief two-paragraph reply on July 2, 2024, without supporting documentation. Thomas also failed to produce the requested records by the extended deadlines of August 14 and August 16, 2024, hindering the ODC’s ability to complete its investigation.
Additionally, Thomas admitted during the May 16, 2024, call that her registered primary and preferred addresses, as well as her email addresses, were outdated. She promised to update this information with the Louisiana State Bar Association but failed to do so, further violating registration requirements.
The committee found that Thomas’s actions demonstrated a knowing, if not intentional, failure to cooperate, causing harm to the disciplinary system by obstructing the investigation. Aggravating factors included her prior disciplinary record, a pattern of misconduct, and substantial experience as an attorney. No mitigating factors were identified. The committee’s recommendation cites precedents where similar failures to cooperate resulted in suspensions ranging from 30 days to one year.
The recommendation states:
“Given respondent’s prior disciplinary history, her current suspension, her failure to cooperate with the ODC’s efforts to investigate the allegations in this most recent complaint, and her failure to comply with annual registration requirements despite promising to do so, the committee recommends that the Respondent be suspended from the practice of law for a period of one year and one day.”
According to Avvo.com, Ms. Thomas is an attorney in Mc Intosh, Alabama. She attended the Southern University Law Center, graduating in 2000. She acquired her law license in Louisiana in 2002.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
