Kara Sears
Phill Kline, a former Kansas Attorney General, lost his law license in 2013 following allegations of misconduct during his years-long investigation into abortion clinics. The Kansas Supreme Court found clear and convincing evidence of 11 violations of the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct, including providing false testimony and misleading judges. Kline disputed the findings and appealed the suspension, arguing that the court composition was invalid, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, leaving the suspension in place.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for suspension | Misconduct during investigations of abortion providers |
| Date of suspension | 2013 |
| Court that ordered the suspension | Kansas Supreme Court |
| Number of violations | 11 |
| Outcome of appeal to U.S. Supreme Court | Declined to hear the case |
| Current occupation | Assistant professor of law at Liberty University |
| Intention to practice law again | Does not intend to practice in Kansas, but can seek reinstatement of Kansas license after three years |
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What You'll Learn
Misconduct during investigations of abortion providers
Phill Kline, a former Kansas Attorney General, lost his law license in 2013 following his years-long investigation into abortion clinics. The Kansas Supreme Court found "clear and convincing evidence" of professional misconduct, citing 11 rules governing the professional conduct of attorneys that Kline had violated during his tenure as the state’s highest law enforcement officer and while serving as Johnson County district attorney.
The disciplinary proceedings against Kline began in January 2010 when complaints were filed by Tiller’s attorney and the forewoman of a Johnson County grand jury, which had been called to investigate Planned Parenthood. The complaint accused Kline of misleading judges and mishandling evidence as he investigated abortion clinics. The next year, 12 days of evidence and testimony were presented at a hearing before three lawyers appointed by the Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys. That panel found multiple incidents of misconduct, including providing false testimony, obtaining medical records of women planning to have abortions through illegal means, and instructing members of his staff to attach sealed documents to a publicly filed document in violation of a Supreme Court order.
The Kansas Board of Discipline of Attorneys recommended that Kline's law license be indefinitely suspended, citing a pattern of repeatedly misleading statements, "dishonest and selfish motives", and a failure to "take any responsibility for his misconduct." The court found that Kline's actions demonstrated a "selfish motive" and a pattern of misconduct, including his refusal to acknowledge the wrongful nature of his actions.
Kline disputed the findings of misconduct, arguing that his actions were consistent with traditional investigative methods. He appealed the suspension of his license, arguing that the Kansas Supreme Court was not properly constituted, as five justices had recused themselves from the case. However, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his challenge, upholding the indefinite suspension of his license.
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Misconduct during a grand jury proceeding
Phill Kline, a former Kansas Attorney General, lost his law license in 2013 following his years-long investigation into abortion clinics. The Kansas Supreme Court found "clear and convincing evidence" of professional misconduct, specifically citing 11 violations of the rules governing the professional conduct of attorneys.
One of the main issues pertained to Kline's handling of a grand jury proceeding while serving as Johnson County's district attorney. The specific details of Kline's misconduct during the grand jury proceeding are not explicitly mentioned in the sources. However, it is known that the disciplinary proceedings against him began in January 2010 when complaints were filed by Tiller's attorney and the forewoman of the Johnson County grand jury. The complaints accused Kline of misleading judges and mishandling evidence during his investigation of abortion clinics.
The Kansas Board of Discipline of Attorneys recommended that Kline's law license be indefinitely suspended, citing a pattern of repeatedly misleading statements, "dishonest and selfish motives", and a failure to "take any responsibility for his misconduct." The Supreme Court of Kansas agreed with this assessment and suspended Kline's license, a decision which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Kline's actions during the grand jury proceeding were likely part of the broader pattern of misconduct identified by the disciplinary authorities and the courts. His investigation into abortion providers and clinics involved obtaining women's medical records through illegal means, instructing staff to record women's license plates as they entered abortion clinics, and obtaining records at motels where they stayed. These actions constituted a violation of the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct and contributed to the indefinite suspension of his law license.
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Misleading judges and mishandling evidence
Phill Kline, a former Kansas Attorney General, lost his law license in 2013 following a years-long investigation into an abortion clinic. The disciplinary proceedings against Kline began in January 2010 when complaints were filed by Tiller's attorney and the forewoman of a Johnson County grand jury, which was called to investigate Planned Parenthood. The complaint accused Kline of misleading judges and mishandling evidence during his investigation of abortion clinics.
The Kansas Board of Discipline of Attorneys recommended that Kline's law license be indefinitely suspended, citing a pattern of repeatedly misleading statements, dishonest and selfish motives, and a failure to take responsibility for his misconduct. The Kansas Supreme Court ultimately found "clear and convincing evidence" that Kline had committed 11 violations of the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct, including providing false testimony and obtaining medical records of women planning to have abortions through illegal means.
Kline's attorney, Thomas Condit, disagreed with the conclusions, arguing that the state Supreme Court was "cherry-picking" evidence and that there was never any deliberate dishonesty on Kline's part. Kline appealed the suspension of his license to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to intervene, leaving the suspension in place.
Kline has since joined the faculty at Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia, as an assistant professor of law. He has also become the director of a conservative legal organization known as the Amistad Project, which has joined Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's election lawsuits in support of President Donald Trump.
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Providing false testimony and obtaining medical records
Phill Kline, a former Kansas Attorney General, lost his law license in 2013 following his years-long investigation into abortion clinics. The disciplinary proceedings against Kline began in January 2010 when complaints were filed by Tiller's attorney and the forewoman of a Johnson County grand jury, which had been called to investigate Planned Parenthood. The complaint accused Kline of misleading judges and mishandling evidence.
The Kansas disciplinary panel found that Kline had committed multiple violations of the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct, including providing false testimony and obtaining medical records of women planning to have abortions through illegal means. The panel's 185-page report concluded that Kline had violated the rules in 10 areas, with multiple violations in some. The report found that Kline had a selfish motive and a pattern of misconduct, including refusing to acknowledge the wrongful nature of his actions.
Based on these findings, the Kansas Supreme Court indefinitely suspended Kline's law license in October 2013. The court found clear and convincing evidence that Kline had committed 11 violations of the rules governing professional conduct. Kline appealed the suspension, arguing that the Kansas Supreme Court was not properly constituted, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case in 2014 and again in 2017.
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Failure to pay annual registration fee
Phill Kline, a former Kansas Attorney General, lost his law license in 2013 following allegations of misconduct during his investigation of abortion clinics. The Kansas Supreme Court found "clear and convincing evidence" of professional misconduct, citing 11 violations of rules governing the conduct of attorneys.
While the specific reason for Kline's initial license suspension was his failure to pay the annual registration fee, the subsequent investigation and disciplinary proceedings uncovered more serious infractions. During his tenure as the state's highest law enforcement officer and as Johnson County district attorney, Kline was found to have violated multiple rules, including providing false testimony and mishandling evidence.
The disciplinary proceedings against Kline began in January 2010 when complaints were filed by Tiller's attorney and a grand jury forewoman. The Kansas Board of Discipline of Attorneys recommended an indefinite suspension of Kline's license in October 2011, citing a pattern of misleading statements, dishonest and
Kline disputed the findings and challenged the suspension, arguing that the Kansas Supreme Court was not properly constituted. However, his appeals were ultimately denied by the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to intervene.
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Frequently asked questions
Phil Kline lost his law license due to allegations of misconduct during his investigation of abortion clinics. He was found to have committed 11 violations of the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct, including providing false testimony and obtaining medical records through illegal means.
The Kansas Supreme Court indefinitely suspended Kline's law license in 2013. Kline appealed the suspension multiple times, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, leaving the suspension in place.
After losing his law license, Kline became a director of a conservative legal organization called the Amistad Project. He has also joined Donald Trump's election lawsuits and is currently an assistant professor of law at Liberty University in Virginia.
