John Eastman heads to court as California Bar pushes to revoke legal license before Fulton County trial

John Eastman is back in court on Wednesday for a hearing on whether he should be disbarred in California. Now, his Monday night indictment over allegations he helped Donald Trump try to overturn the 2020 election result has been added to the California Bar Association's case, legal affairs reporter Meghann Cuniff revealed on Wednesday.

Eastman last week tried to get the disbarment proceedings postponed, claiming potential criminal charges could affect his ability to defend himself in the California case.

Now the CA Bar is using the Fulton County indictment as further evidence why he shouldn't be allowed to practice law. It filed an addition to the case, further arguing that abatement was inappropriate and that Eastman knew the criminal charges were coming.

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"The State Bar maintains its opposition to abatement of these proceedings, as most of the grounds set forth in the State Bar's Aug. 10, 2023, Opposition still apply. While it is no longer uncertain whether respondents will be indicted on criminal charges, and many of the allegations in the Fulton County indictment are related to the issues in the State Bar case, the prejudice to the State Bar and the public interest in resolving the State Bar case weigh in favor of completing the trial.

"The Fulton County criminal case against respondent could take years to resolve," the filing continues, "particularly given the number of co-defendants. As the State Bar noted in the Opposition, respondent knew that he faced possible criminal charges related to the conduct alleged in the NDC, including in Fulton County, but he chose to proceed with his State Bar trial without moving for abatement. Now, halfway through the trial, the State Bar would be highly prejudiced by delaying the completion of trial and a decision in this case for what could be several years. Delaying the further presentation of evidence also risks loss of evidence."

Eastman joins Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jeff Clark and Ken Chesebro in facing various disciplinary panels to address their respective involvement in the attempt to overthrow the 2020 election.

Eastman joins 18 others accused of co-conspiring with Trump in Georgia. He is specifically accused of sending an email to co-defendant Robert David Cheeley, "unindicted co-conspirator Individual 8, whose identity is known to the grand jury, and (Georgia state Sen. Brandon Beach) that stated that the Trump presidential elector nominees in Georgia needed to meet on Dec. 14, 2020, sign six sets of certificates of vote, and mail them 'to the President of the Senate and to other officials.' This was an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy," said the indictment.

The California Bar Association filing explained that, “The burden on the State Bar of postponing the remainder of the trial for an indefinite period of time, possibly several years, outweighs the burden on respondent in completing the trial."