The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed a $750 sanction leveled against a Cleburne attorney for disobeying an order by U.S. District Judge John McBryde, but reversed part of the punishment because it would have forced the lawyer to re-enroll in law school.

According to the decision, Robert E. Luttrell III was sanctioned by McBryde last year in a 40-page order that imposed discipline on the lawyer for failure to comply with a court order, including Luttrell's failure to keep a court-appointed client apprised of a criminal appeal. McBryde also removed Luttrell from a panel comprised of attorneys who volunteer to represent indigent defendants in criminal trials.

On appeal, the Fifth Circuit concluded that McBryde did not abuse his discretion in fining Luttrell or removing him from the attorney panel, but said the judge went too far in requiring Luttrell to “complete 12 hours of ethics courses at an accredited law school in eight months.”