MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — Neighbors in Waco are raising concerns after Adam Dean Hoffman — a local attorney convicted of a child sex crime — remains listed as eligible to practice law in the State of Texas on the State Bar's website.
- Waco attorney Adam Dean Hoffman, convicted of a child sex crime, remains listed as eligible to practice law in Texas on the State Bar's website.
- Hoffman was sentenced to two months in county jail and ordered by Judge Roy Sparkman to resign from the Texas State Bar. But the bar says it has not received the necessary paperwork to update his status.
- The State Bar of Texas says once the Texas Supreme Court enters an order accepting Hoffman's resignation, his membership status can be updated to reflect his ineligibility to practice law.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Some of our neighbors in Waco are raising concerns after Adam Dean Hoffman — a local attorney convicted of a child sex crime — remains listed as eligible to practice law in Texas on the State Bar's website.
"The man is not fit to be an attorney. He has shown that he can not be trusted," said Michael Parker, a neighbor and local paralegal.
Hoffman was sentenced to two months in a county jail after visiting Judge Roy Sparkman increased his former plea deal with the Texas Attorney General's Office from 30 days to 60 days. Sparkman also required Hoffman to resign from the Texas State Bar and issued an order prohibiting him from contacting the victim.
"He has broken every ethical rule and obligation as an attorney. He does not need to be an attorney," Parker said.
When I was in the courtroom on Monday for sentencing, Judge Sparkman asked Hoffman to write his resignation to the Texas State Bar in front of him. Hoffman was then asked to hand that paper over to the Texas Attorney General's Office.
I reached out to the AG's office for confirmation of Hoffman's resignation, but as of Friday afternoon, I am still waiting to hear back.
The Texas State Bar told me it is aware of Hoffman's case but said it remains "unaware that he has taken the necessary steps to initiate the process."
The State Bar added: "Once the Texas Supreme Court has entered an order accepting his resignation, Mr. Hoffman's membership status can be updated to reflect his ineligibility to practice law in Texas."
Longtime Texas attorney JoDee Neil said the bar could revoke Hoffman's license now because of his crimes, and that it appears his legal team was not prepared at the time of the plea.
"I would have hoped that given the sweetheart deal this guy got, I mean, he got 30 days and the judge doubled it to 60. He could have at least done the due diligence to resign his license since that was a term and condition of the plea agreement," Neil said.
Criminologist Dr. Alex Del Carmen, a retired Tarleton State professor, raised the question of where the paperwork from court is now.
"There is, I'm sure a formality that needs to be started from the attorney's side to initiate the paperwork that is legally, you know, required from the bar in order for the bar license to be in this case, you know, permanently suspended," Del Carmen said.
The Texas Supreme Court told me that once the State Bar receives the paperwork, it can begin moving forward, but could not speak to a timeline since the paperwork has not yet been sent to them.
In the Judgement of Conviction by Court in the 54th District Court of McLennan County, it states, "the defendant is to surrender his law license and not be eligible for reinstatement for atleast 5 years."
Hoffman is also still listed as an attorney in Nebraska, though his license there is listed as inactive. The Nebraska State Bar said he could still apply to practice law in that state, but approval would not be automatic.
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