On Thursday, September 12, 2024, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an order disbarring attorney Eugene Daniel Lucas from practicing law, retroactive to May 6, 2022.

The case is entitled “Office of Disciplinary Counsel v. Eugene Daniel Lucas,” with case no. 50 DB 2022.

The order came in response to a Verified Statement of Resignation submitted by Lucas to the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania on August 12, 2024. In the statement, Lucas acknowledged that he had recently pled guilty to criminal charges, which constitute per se grounds for lawyer discipline under the Pennsylvania Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement.

Specifically, Lucas pleaded guilty on February 16, 2024, in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas to three counts of felony theft by deception and three counts of misdemeanor theft by deception. He was sentenced on May 29, 2024, to an aggregate sentence of 3 to 23 months in county prison followed by 12 months probation.

In his resignation statement, Lucas admitted that the material facts underlying his criminal convictions, as summarized in the affidavit of probable cause and guilty plea, were true. He stated he was resigning because the convictions provided per se grounds for discipline and he knew he could not successfully defend himself against any disciplinary charges arising from the criminal matter.

Lucas acknowledged in the statement that he was aware resignation is irrevocable and that he could only seek reinstatement under the terms of the Rules of Disciplinary Enforcement. He requested that his disbarment be retroactive to his suspension date on May 6, 2022.

The Office of Disciplinary Counsel did not oppose the request for retroactive disbarment. But Lucas’ statement noted the decision on retroactivity was solely within the Supreme Court’s discretion. By issuing the order on September 12, 2024, the high court granted Lucas’ request, disbarring him retroactively as of the initial suspension date.

The Disposition states:

“AND NOW, this 12th day of September 2024, upon consideration of the Verified Statement of Resignation, Eugene Daniel Lucas is disbarred on consent from the Bar of this Commonwealth, retroactive to May 6, 2022.”

According to avvo.com, Mr. Lucas was an attorney in Olyphant, Pennsylvania. He acquired his law license in Pennsylvania in 1981. 

A copy of the original filing can be found here.