Missouri Supreme Court says Hannibal attorney’s alcohol and/or drug addiction reason for law license suspension

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Dec. 3 that the law license of Hannibal attorney Tyler White, who has been charged with five felonies involving a traffic crash on Sept. 13 in Shelby County, has been suspended pending the resolution of any outstanding criminal charges and any disciplinary charges.

An order filed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Russell said the court reviewed information provided by the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel (OCDC) that “there is probable cause to believe that (White) is unable to competently represent the interests of his clients due to an alcohol and/or drug addiction, and that White has committed professional misconduct and poses a substantial threat of irreparable harm to the public.”

The Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel is an agency of the Missouri Supreme Court and is responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct by lawyers. The OCDC submitted a 26-page document on Nov. 25 supporting the suspension of White “until further order of the (Supreme) Court.”

The OCDC recommended White’s suspension because there is probable cause to believe he is “unable to competently represent the interests of (his) clients because of addiction to intoxicants” and “has engaged in professional misconduct such that he poses a substantial risk of irreparable harm to the public. The cause of (White’s) incompetence and professional misconduct appears to stem from (his) uncontrolled alcohol addiction.”

White’s most recent brush with the law happened in September. A probable cause statement made by a sergeant with the Missouri State Highway Patrol alleges White crashed a truck on Shelby County Road 356 early in the morning of Sept. 13, injuring a male victim. The victim said he was left overnight in the truck in a cornfield. 

White, 33, eventually transported the victim to a cabin, and when the victim later told White five times he was injured and needed medical attention, White allegedly told him to “shut up.” White’s mother eventually came to the cabin and took the victim to Quincy, dropping him off at the front door of Blessing Hospital.

White is charged with:

• Kidnapping in the second degree, a Class D felony;
• Tampering with a witness in a felony prosecution, a Class D felony;
• Leaving the scene of an accident, a Class E felony;
• Two counts of tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution, a Class E felony.

If convicted by a jury, White could face up to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for a Class D felony and up to four years in prison for a Class E felony. For Class D or E felonies, the court also has the option of sentencing a person to county jail for up to one year. However, any sentence for more than a year must be served in state prison.

The ODCD document also pointed out two other admonitions given to White.

On May 27, 2021, White was admonished for representing a person involved in a bar altercation. He took a blank subpoena, filled it out and served it on the bar where the altercation occurred. The subpoena directed the bar owner to provide White with the surveillance video of the altercation. There was no pending litigation regarding the altercation.

On Aug. 23, 2022, White was admonished for using campaign signs that represented he was already a sitting judge when he had never been a judge while campaigning as a judicial candidate for the Marion County Associate Circuit Court position.

The OCDC document also detailed White’s history of alcohol abuse coupled with illegal behavior. However, much of the information was redacted.

“It appears that (White) has abused alcohol for many years, including before he was licensed,” it read.

Two DUI charges from Sept. 25, 2022, and May 6, 2023, are pending against White in Adams County, Ill. 

During a Sept. 23 bond hearing in the Shelby County case, Shelby County Prosecuting Attorney Jordan Force advised the court that she believed White had a substance abuse problem. She referenced receiving reports from witnesses that White was very intoxicated at a Quincy, Ill., bar the night that the crash occurred.

“What’s become present to me with Mr. White is that there seems to be a real substance abuse problem, whether alcohol or otherwise,” Force said during the bond hearing.

“It is professional misconduct for an attorney to commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s fitness to practice,” the OCDC document read. “Attorneys who exhibit criminal behavior while intoxicated have a deleterious effect on the reputation of the legal profession. … There is probable cause to believe that (White) has committed criminal acts while intoxicated that reflect adversely on his fitness to practice.”

The OCDC document also claimed White has:

• Appeared in court smelling of alcohol
• Failed to appear in court on multiple occasions in Lewis and Monroe counties
• Received complaints from clients regarding his lack of communication
• Provided false information to a court to cover his own incompetence

“(White’s) alleged recent criminal conduct is very concerning,” the OCDC document said. “(White) allegedly failed to timely seek medical attention for a severely injured victim, ostensibly so that he could avoid a fourth DUI charge. Such alleged conduct is reprehensible and incompatible with the duties of an attorney. 

“Even before (White) was criminally charged in Shelby County, he was failing to provide competent representation to his client. Unless (White) addresses his addiction issues, it is unlikely his representation of clients will improve, especially now in light of the added stress and time demands he has from his own impending criminal charges. Thus, allowing (White) to continue to practice creates a substantial threat of irreparable harm to the public.”

White was released from the Shelby County Jail in October after posting 10 percent of his $100,000 bond.