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On March 17, 2005, the Mississippi State Supreme Court majority found Chokwe Lumumba in violation of several attorney rules of professional conduct, as a result of Lumumba standing up and speaking out to a racist white Mississippi judge who was abusing his client's rights. They imposed a six-month suspension against the "People's Lawyer." He was also fined $1000, ordered to re-take the ethics portion of the MS Bar exam, and required to pay all court costs accrued by the Bar and in his appeal. Not all agreed. Justice Graves, the only Black jurist on the court, said: "...under the facts before us, this is an extreme and draconian sanction, which is not proportional to the particular offenses. Because of this, I am forced to respectfully dissent."
As of April 3, Lumumba was granted a "stay," which means that the state Supreme Court has lifted his suspension until he files a petition with the US Supreme Court. If they agree to hear the case, Lumumba can continue practicing law until a final decision is reached. If his petition is denied, he would be immediately suspended for six months. Only 1% of petitions to the US Supreme court, and the suspension will take effect. However, at this juncture, he is still licensed to practice law. Lumumba, his lawyers and supporters have vowed to fight the Mississippi Supreme Court suspension, which they saw is bad law and even worse politics.
According to Lumumba's supporters, the decision is the product of plantation-minded judges who are punishing Chokwe Lumumba for "talking back to the white man." Akil Bakari, one of the organizers of the Chokwe Lumumba Defense Coalition, says of the decision stands, the people will clearly know that it is only a prop for...