Board of Disciplinary Appeals
Summary
The Board of Disciplinary Appeals appointed by the Supreme Court of Texas is a tribunal consisting of 12 volunteer attorneys. BODA shall have and exercise all the powers of either a trial court or appellate court, as the case may be, in hearing and determining disciplinary proceedings. In re State Bar of Texas, 113 S.W.3d 730 (Tex. 2003). The Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure Part VII grant the Board jurisdiction to hear: (1) appeals from decisions of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel whether a statement constitutes an inquiry or a complaint; (2) appeals by any party from an evidentiary panel judgment dismissing or imposing sanctions against an attorney; (3) requests to transfer any pending disciplinary proceeding when a committee fails or refuses to hear the matter or as fairness requires; (4) petitions to revoke the probation of an attorney who has been suspended by a grievance committee with at least a portion of the suspension conditionally probated; (5) compulsory actions based upon an attorney having been convicted of or having accepted deferred adjudication for an intentional crime; and (6) reciprocal actions based upon an attorney licensed both in Texas and in another jurisdiction having been disciplined in another jurisdiction. The board also appoints district disability committees to determine whether an attorney is suffering from a disability as defined in the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, issues disability judgments, and hears petitions for reinstatement following an indefinite disability suspension.