On Thursday, November 21, 2024, the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department issued a memorandum and order disbarring Donald Albert Young, a suspended attorney. Young has faced significant legal troubles dating back to his conviction for multiple sex crimes in Pennsylvania in 1998.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Donald Albert Young,” with case no. PM-227-24.
The court’s decision follows a motion filed by the Attorney Grievance Committee (AGC) for the Third Judicial Department, which sought to impose disciplinary measures due to Young’s past misconduct. He was suspended from practicing law in New York in September 2009 for failing to comply with statutory registration requirements. His suspension stemmed from a long history of noncompliance that began in 2000.
In November 1998, Young was convicted of serious offenses, including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated indecent assault. He was sentenced to serve 4½ to 9 years in prison and ultimately disbarred by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in May 2009. The Pennsylvania court found that his criminal actions constituted professional misconduct, with the Disciplinary Board noting the “extremely egregious” nature of his crimes, which involved multiple victims.
The AGC’s recent motion, which was not contested by Young, aimed to reaffirm the disciplinary actions stemming from his Pennsylvania convictions under the Rules for Attorney Disciplinary Matters. The court highlighted that certain crimes for which Young was convicted in Pennsylvania would also be felonies under New York law, affirming that he was automatically disbarred upon his felony conviction.
In its ruling, the New York Court emphasized that the Judiciary Law mandates disbarment for attorneys convicted of felonies, stating that Young’s disbarment was self-executing due to the severe nature of his offenses. The court took the additional step of formally striking Young’s name from the roll of attorneys in New York, effective retroactively to the date of his conviction.
As part of the ruling, the court ordered Young to desist from practicing law in any capacity within the state, prohibiting him from representing himself as an attorney. It also noted the importance of compliance with the rules governing disbarred attorneys, requiring Young to certify his adherence to these regulations.
The Disposition states:
“ORDERED that, upon our own motion, the respondent is disbarred and his name is stricken from the roll of attorneys and counselors-at-law of the State of New York, effective November 13, 1998.”
According to the filing, Mr. Young acquired his law license in New York in 1988.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
