Isle lawyer suspended
by Hawaii high courtThe justices criticize another
attorney for lying in court papers
The Hawaii Supreme Court has suspended Honolulu attorney Christopher D. Ferrara from practicing law for 42 months.
The order, effective June 7, is based on a California Supreme Court order suspending Ferrara for 42 months for a federal felony conviction of engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from unlawful activity.
Ferrara, 59, will not be able to practice law until he is reinstated by the Supreme Court. He could not be reached for comment.
Ferrara, a graduate of the California Western School of Law, was admitted to the Hawaii bar in September 1975.
The Supreme Court also issued a public reprimand to Honolulu attorney Donald L. Wilkerson.
The Disciplinary Board found that Wilkerson failed to timely advise his incarcerated client of an appellate court's decision; incorrectly advised his client about the deadline for further appeal; lied in a court document that he represented the client when he was not; and failed to cooperate with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel's investigation into the client's ethics complaint.
Wilkerson, 49, is not barred from practicing law, but a reprimand increases the sanctions that can be issued if he incurs future violations.
Wilkerson graduated from Loyola Law School and was admitted to the Hawaii bar in June 1992.