PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A local lawyer who hadn’t paid his income taxes since 2003 has been banned from practicing law for the next month, according to the Board of Overseers of the Bar.
Alan Harding, 58, also served eight days in jail as a result of a Maine Supreme Judicial Court ruling in June after he pleaded guilty to not filing and paying about $100,000 in state income taxes over a six-year period ending in 2009.
He was sentenced to serve 10 days of a 120-day jail sentence, but according to Aroostook County Jail, Harding got two days off for “good time.” The jail time was served in December.
According to a press release issued this week by the Board of Overseers, Harding since has been ordered to serve 30 days of a six-month suspension of his license to practice law, with the sentence to be served from Dec. 22, 2011, until Jan. 21, 2012.
Harding paid his back taxes before the sentencing, according to previously published reports.
Nonpayment of taxes was one of five complaints investigated by the Board of Overseers. The other complaints involved Harding’s neglect and/or mishandling of clients’ cases.
One involved a Hampden woman’s lawsuit against the town over a backup of sewage in April 2004 into a newly constructed home. A second client was dissatisfied with how Harding managed his bankruptcy case and a third complained about Harding improperly handling her personal injury case.
All three of those cases were neglected by Harding and he failed to respond in a timely matter to these clients’ attempts to resolve their matters, according to findings filed by Maine Supreme Judicial Court Associate Justice Joseph Jabar.
In a fourth complaint, a Presque Isle physician said she hired Harding to represent her in a dispute with a local hospital. Instead, Harding, without consulting privately with her, offered his services as a mediator to resolve the matter. That, according to the code of conduct that governs lawyers, was a conflict of interest.
In addition to the jail time and suspended work time, Harding will have to inform all his clients of his suspension, his office will be supervised for one year, he will take six hours of classes on law practice management and he will pay a $500 fine.
BDN journalist Judy Harrison contributed to this report.
Mr Harding represented me once for night hunting — not saying I was innocent — but I served 3 days — cost me $ 1,000.oo — lose of my gun another $3oo.oo — attended hunting ethical classes to get my license back — is this equal treament ?
You should’ve hired Harding’s lawyer.
Oh! WOW! He is really being punished! Let someone who isn’t a lawyer not pay their taxes for as long as he did and see what happens. I bet it’s more than eight days.
Bet it isn’t. Save this post because you can replace lawyer with doctor, politician, teacher, police officer, or anyone else who YOU dislike. If you don’t like the sentence in this case or any other do something about it. At least in this case the money was paid but in the cases of teachers coping a feel the children get nothing out of the joke of a sentence those teachers have been receiving!
We get it, you are a lawyer or the lawyer. I can’t think of any other reason you would stick up for someone who should be well educated not paying his taxes for years. This guy blatently broke laws thinking he would get away with it and did to an extent. When a lawyer knowingly breaks a law, he has betrayed his public obligation and trust. Maybe the criminal penalty is appropiate, but he should never be allowed to pracrice law again.
I am not a lawyer but find it hilarious that people like you think professionals should always lose their licenses when they make a mistake. Right or wrong no one should have their professional license revoked unless they caused personal harm to another. Besides, I don’t see you screaming that the non licensed should lose their livelihood when they make a mistake.
If I were a veterinarian, but my name appeared in the police blotter for BEATING my canine, I bet you would crucify me…..this man is in LAW…..defending , accusing……and yet he has a track record of flounting the same laws….Either he is dating the State TREASURER, or daughter of the tax collector, or, perhaps he has no money for a postage stamp….Gee, that would be an oversight….8.5 years of no postage….and defrauding clients who placed trust in him…..you can not act as mediator (friend) to a hospital your client has PAID you to bring suit against…….define (mistake)…define (corrupt)……
I never said Mr. Harding should not be receiving the grief he is or the bad publicity. What I have said is you can not just take someone’s professional license because you disagree with their actions. If you don’t like the sentence or discipline get the laws and rules changed, but a lot of posters on this blog are being personal and vindictive rather than proactive. I do not consider not paying taxes as being anywhere as serious as teachers molesting students and recently their punishment has been a bigger joke.
wink, wink! Equal justice? Ah, me thinketh not!
He forgot, for six years, whats the problem? Undoubtedly he had a lot of weighty stuff on his mind. His buddies obviously realize this fact.
What a crock!!!
We are destroying the legal system..
There is no “WE”…only a very small majority think this is right and those are the ones who are “In Control” in the court systems…that is your “We”…….Personally, I would have given that jerk 10 years in prison, no early release, never be allowed to practice “his law” again in this state nor any other, 10 years probation and he has to give up his Corvette and the weed, do community service..I am thinking somewhere in the Septic System world would be the best place for him and see how he likes smelling his own crap for a change seeing that he is forcing all of us to deal in it and do a real man’s job for a change and see how he likes it. His home should also be taken away from him and let the irs agents live in it ……In my opinion…….
Wow, carrying a chip on your shoulder toward Mr. Harding? Sounds like you could use a stool softener because you are full of it!
With what’s coming out of your mouth today, seems you took yours first.
All his back taxes have been paid, as it says in the article… so why exactly should he lose anything? He has paid what is due, plus a hefty amount in penalties I’m sure.
WHAT A JOKE !! Unfortunately it is on the public this jerk was supposed to serve as a member of the bar!
This Is Funny As All Get Out…Its Not Who You Know But Who You *LOW….
His sentance is joke just as he is.
He and his punishment are a joke.
I am so dang sick of people like this jerk getting away with this crap!!!!!! He deserves to lose his license PERMANATLY! What is this state and country coming to? I am so outraged that this “person” gets to go on with his RICH life while others who do the same crime are in prison for years!!!! You people in the court system make me sick!
What other people do you know of doing the same thing and how long were their sentences? Your blanket statements make as much sense as me saying you deserve to lose a hand because I don’t like your false and drama queen posts.
Obviously, Harding is already out of jail. No other twit out there would be defending him…
Twit! Is that all you have? I’m shaking from your inability to even complete a sentence let alone the strong words. Stick your head back into your gluteus maximus
cave.
It is none of your business how many people I know personally…I read the paper, I watch the news, I am on the internet. If I knew you personally then I would take the time to come up with some names for you but since your intrest is peaked by my opinion then I suggest you do your own research. And by what you wrote…I think I do know you personally so say it to my face…if you dare and then I will answer your false and drama statement…..
Bring it on Slick!
No one has ever been charged criminally with this specific charge. Read my comment below for further details…
SIX years of not paying your taxes……………try it and see what happens to YOU.
“Justice is a joke in this country”………..
This decision does not say much for the integrity of the legal profession who are not held to a higher standard . Judge Marden should be ashamed of himself . Being politically connected and sitting on a committee to chose Judges can protect you from being treated like anyone else. Very sad commentary about our justice system.
Illuminati……
Fancy that, a crook practicing law. Everybody’s suspicions about the profession have been validated one more time. So much for the “Rule of law”. It’s now the “Rule of greed and corruption”.
He lives in Presque Isle, is that not enough cruel and unusual punishement?
If this had been a cop this papeer would have crucified him and demanded that his/her certification be removed…
He had broken the law many times, he should not be allowed to be a lawyer period. It makes you wonder why the Board does not want to set a precedence here. Maybe thery are worried for themselves? This is not even a hand slap, I hope the community there boycotts him. No wonder lawyers at at the bottom of the list of professions people trust and respect. In times like this, even the used car dealers look more ethical.
Whoa, used car dealer? How dare you? Now we all know lawyers are bottom of the barrell scum but to compare them to used car dealers? Hmmmmm, upon furtherr thought, I think you might be right. The used car dealer only screws one at a time and a good lawyer (ha, ha, ) can screw thousands at once. Yep, your right, lawyers are worse than used car dealers.
I don’t know why everyone is so surprised about the “good ole boy network” letting this guy off with a slap on the wrist. If I didn’t pay my taxes for one year, they would be piping daylight to me forever.
I am sure that all of you who are ranting on about justice not being served have walked the straight and narrow every day of your lives. The matter is over, the taxes paid and if you ever need a lawyer there are other choices in Presque Ilse.
He must of went through some serious cocaine withdrawls!
You should all, including the reporter, do your homework on tax law before offering your comments. Several contributors have referenced similar crimes. These may be similar, but are indeed different crimes. There are basically three categories of tax crimes, (1) Attempt to evade or defeat paying taxes, (2) Fraud and false statements, and (3) failure to file a return, supply information, or pay tax at the time or times required by law. Each of these types of crimes has a different weight and sentencing structure. Mr. Harding was charged and pled guilty to the third kind, which is a misdemeanor. You may not feel that eight days is a enough, however the fact that he was the FIRST person in this state to be charged criminally with this specific offense, indeed speaks to the fact that he has been held to a significantly higher standard. For others who have failed to file, they have faced civil penalties, but were not charged criminally.