NEW ORLEANS (Louisiana Record) — Longtime Baton Rouge attorney Audrey Melissa Lamb has receive a fully deferred suspension following a Nov. 19 Louisiana Supreme Court attorney disciplinary proceeding over allegations stemming from her 2017 DWI arrest.
Lamb has not been involved in multiple DWI offenses, according to the Supreme Court's nine-page attorney disciplinary proceeding.
"Further, following an evaluation by [judges and lawyers assistance program agreement], it was determined that respondent does not suffer from a substance use disorder, and as such JLAP did not recommend any further testing or treatment," the disciplinary proceeding said. "Therefore, the conditions under which we normally impose an actual period of suspension are not present in this case."
The high court accepted a Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board (LADB) hearing committee's recommendation issued in August, saying Lamb should receive a deferred suspension, and handed down a fully-deferred year-and-a-day suspension.
The court also ordered Lamb to pay all costs and expenses plus interest in the matter.
Lamb was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on Oct. 9, 1998, according to her profile at the Louisiana State Bar Association's website. Lamb had no prior history of discipline in Louisiana, according to the disciplinary proceeding.
Allegations against Lamb stem from her DWI arrest Sept. 8, 2017, following an auto accident in Baton Rouge, according to the disciplinary proceeding. At the time, Lamb also was found in possession of marijuana, a .38-caliber revolver, and $19,880 in cash, according to the disciplinary proceeding.
"As noted in the police report, officers found less than 14 grams of marijuana in [Lamb]'s vehicle," the disciplinary proceeding said. "If [Lamb] had been in possession of more than 14 grams of marijuana along with the firearm, she could have been charged with a felony, as opposed to simple possession of marijuana."
Lamb's blood alcohol level subsequently was found to be almost twice the legal limit in Louisiana.
Lamb enrolled in a yearlong pretrial diversion program, which she completed in September, and she consulted with JLAP for an evaluation, the disciplinary proceeding said.
The JLAP evaluation "indicated that she does not suffer from a substance use disorder," the disciplinary proceeding said. "Accordingly, JLAP made no recommendations for further testing or treatment."