Anthony Alexander Armstrong

Findings — machine-extracted (anthropic-batch:claude-opus-4-8); verify against the decision

The complainant, a convicted drug trafficker imprisoned in the USA (2003-2015), alleged that the attorney sold his three Jamaican properties without authorisation while he was incarcerated, breaching Canons III(f), I(b) and III(k). The attorney maintained he acted on instructions conveyed by the complainant, his father and cousin Shelley-Ann to sell the properties. A handwriting expert (Beverley East), the only expert called, opined the signatures on the sale transfers were authentic signatures of the complainant. Applying the criminal standard of proof, the Panel accepted the expert evidence, found the complainant and his witness not credible, and concluded the complainant had authorised the sales. The Panel therefore did not find the attorney acted contrary to law or committed a criminal offence. However, it found the attorney had recklessly witnessed transfers without the signatory being physically present, which tended to discredit the profession in breach of Canon I(b), constituting professional misconduct. No express finding of dishonesty was made. Sanction was deferred pending submissions.

Duties found breached:

• Uphold public trust in the profession

Mitigating factors:

• The complainant was in fact found to have authorised the sales (signatures on transfers were authentic), so the consequences of the reckless witnessing were less grave than they could have been