Lawyer’s false affidavit in disciplinary investigation apparently leads to SW for his cell phone and ultimate disbarment

Respondent is a lawyer accused of (aggressively) pursuing a sexual relationship with a divorce client during the representation and succeeding. When it came out, the state bar opened an inquiry. The lawyer filed an affidavit flatly denying any inappropriate conduct claiming that the relationship pre-dated the representation. The bar, however, had text messages. A search warrant was sought for his cell phone, and the bar complaint proceeded to an order of disbarment effective 12 days later, apparently to give time to wind down his practice. The court notes the search warrant affidavit still remained under seal. [It may be inferred, however, that the false affidavit to the state bar led to the search warrant to attempt to prove perjury. There’s no indication the lawyer was charged with that, but he admitted everything after that.] Board of Professional Responsibility, Wyoming State Bar v. Knudsen, 2019 WY 68, 2019 Wyo. LEXIS 69 (July 3, 2019).