BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - A Boulder immigration attorney has been disbarred by the Colorado Supreme Court after she was convicted in 2014 of cheating immigrant families out of thousands of dollars, promising visas and work permits.
The Supreme Court said Emily Cohen committed an egregious violation of trust.
“She seriously damaged her clients and shook the public’s confidence in the legal profession,” the court said.
Cohen was convicted of theft in 2014 after prosecutors said she collected more than $41,000 in fees from seven immigrant families and failed to produce the documents she promised. She was sentenced to six years in prison.
Boulder District Judge Andrew Hartman also ordered Cohen to serve 10 years of probation and said she wouldn’t be allowed to practice law while on probation, the Boulder Daily Camera reported (https://tinyurl.com/hjnu732).
The Colorado Supreme Court stepped in and disbarred her, saying it was their responsibility to enforce the values of the legal profession.
“We also recognize that our primary task is to protect the public, not punish (Cohen), and we understand that (Cohen) will be in no position to endanger future clients for many years if her sentence remains intact,” the court said. “In the People’s estimation, this is as clear a case for disbarment as any hearing board is likely to see.”
The court cited Cohen’s repeated offenses, lack of remorse and the vulnerability of her victims as aggravating factors in her case.
Cohen argued that her personal and emotional problems as well as her stiff criminal sentence were mitigating factors, but the panel rejected those arguments.
Office of Attorney Regulation records show that 41 attorneys have been disbarred in Colorado between 2013 and 2015.
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Information from: Daily Camera, https://www.dailycamera.com/
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