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03/08/02 "See News Release 16 for any concurrences and/or dissents."

SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA NO. 01-B-2780 IN RE: LARRY S. BANKSTON

ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS

PER CURIAM
This case arises from one count of formal charges filed by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel ("ODC") against respondent, Larry S. Bankston.1

UNDERLYING FACTS On October 4, 1996, respondent, and five other defendants were indicted in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Of the nineteencount indictment, respondent was indicted on five counts of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy and interstate communication in aid of racketeering. After trial by jury, respondent was convicted on two counts of the superseding indictment.2 Essentially,

Respondent, a Baton Rouge attorney, was born on January 22, 1951 and was admitted to the practice of law on April 23, 1976.
2

1

These counts, Count 17 and Count 18, read as follows: Count 17 On or about June 20 1995, in the Eastern District of Louisiana and elsewhere, FRED GOODSON and LARRY S. BANKSTON, defendants herein, did use and cause to be used a facility in interstate commerce, that is an interstate wire (telephone) communication between FRED GOODSON in Slidell, Louisiana, and a representative of a real estate company in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with the intent to promote, manage, establish and carry on, and to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment and carrying on of an unlawful activity, that is, bribery, in violation, in violation of title 14, Louisiana Revised Statutes, Section 118, and thereafter did perform and attempt to perform acts to promote, manage, establish and carry on, and to facilitate the promotion, management, establishment, and carrying on of said unlawful activity. All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1952 and 2. Count 18 On or about June 22, 1995, in the Eastern District of Louisiana and elsewhere, FRED GOODSON and LARRY S. BANKSTON, defendants herein, did use and cause to be used a facility in interstate commerce, that

these counts alleged respondent, who was a Louisiana State Senator at the time, received a bribe in the form of a "sham" rental of his condominium from a person seeking protection of his video poker interests. Following his conviction, respondent received a 41-month term of imprisonment and a fine of $20,000. Respondent's conviction and sentence were affirmed on appeal. United States v. Bankston, 182 F.3d 296 (5th Cir. 1999). In finding the evidence sufficient to support respondent's conviction, the court stated: Larry Bankston contests the sufficiency of the evidence as to his conviction on two counts of violating the Travel Act, 18 U.S.C.

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