In re John Phillip Bender
On April 29, 2013, the Board of Disciplinary Appeals signed a final judgment of disbarment against Austin attorney John Phillip Bender, 57, State Bar of Texas Card No. 02126500. On January 19, 2010, the Board of Disciplinary Appeals signed an interlocutory order of suspension against Bender. On or about August 5, 2009, Bender was found guilty by a jury of aggregated theft, a first degree felony, an Intentional Crime as defined in the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, in cause number D-1-DC-08904109, styled, The State of Texas v. John Bender, in the 331st District Court of Travis County, Texas. Bender was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and ordered to pay court costs in the amount of $242.25. Bender appealed the conviction and the Court of Appeals for the Third District of Texas issued a mandate on October 12, 2012, affirming the District Court judgment. Bender’s criminal conviction is final. Bender filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court and it was denied on January 22, 2013. Bender appealed this decision to the Texas Supreme Court-cause no. 13-0377 and on May 16, 2014, the disbarment was affirmed. BODA cause number 45600.
