Ex-St. Louis Mayor’s Law License in Jeopardy

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (CN) - A former St. Louis mayor saw his law license indefinitely suspended by Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Freeman Bosley Jr. admitted in court on Dec. 9, 2013, that he mishandled clients' funds.

A three-member panel appointed by the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel found that Bosley combined personal and client funds, used trust account money to pay personal expenses, and failed to keep accurate records.

In part because of Bosley's confession, however, the panel recommended a minimum two-year suspension.

Bosley appealed the decision to the state high court. Last week, Chief Disciplinary Counsel Alan Pratzel recommended a lesser punishment that included a stayed indefinite suspension and two years of probation.

The stay would have put the suspension on Bosley's record, but it wouldn't have been enforced and he would have still been able to practice law.

Instead, the Supreme Court suspended Bosley's license indefinitely without a stay Tuesday. Bosley cannot apply for reinstatement for six months.

Bosley, 60, a Democrat, became St. Louis' first black mayor when he was elected in 1993. Bosley went into private practice after a failed re-election attempt in 1997.

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