On Tuesday, November 1, 2022, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruled on the Information filed by the Board of Bar Overseers of the Bar in relation to the Letter of Surrender of License of Defendant South Portland attorney Jay Daniel Hoffman.
The case is styled ‘Board of Overseers of the Bar vs. J. Daniel Hoffman’ and was brought by the Board, under case no. BAR-21-15.
The following are as summarized from the filing:
Defendant has submitted to the Board of Bar Overseers his Letter of Surrender of License wherein he stated that he freely and voluntarily rendered the surrender, fully aware of the implications of the surrender and that he was not subjected to coercion or duress. Furthermore, Defendant has stated that he is aware that there is a pending investigation for misconduct allegations filed against him.
The Order states that:
“Defendant agrees that pursuant to M. Bar R. 25(d)(4), he may be reinstated only upon petition filed in the Court after at least 5 years from the effective date of surrender.”
The Order additionally notes:
“This Order does not prohibit Bar Counsel from requesting that the investigation underlying its Information be considered in any reinstatement proceeding and allows the Grievance Commission and Court to consider all prior disciplinary history, including the Information discussed in this Order.”
With the foregoing facts, the Supreme Judicial Court of Maine ruled in favor of the Defendant.
The Order Accepting Surrender reads:
“The Defendant’s Surrender of his license is hereby accepted by the Court, pursuant to the terms set forth in this Order, and the Board’s Information dated April 5, 2021, is hereby rendered moot and dismissed. The Defendant’s Surrender will be effective as of November 1, 2022, and he will be prohibited from practicing law thereafter.”
Prior to surrendering his license, Mr. Hoffman practiced in South Portland, Maine. He had been licensed in Maine. His info can be found on LinkedIn.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
