E.W. Cromartie: ‘I ask for the Court’s mercy’

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Former Columbia city councilman and convicted felon for tax evasion, E. W. Cromartie, pleaded for his professional life Thursday, as he asked the South Carolina Supreme Court not to take away his law license. Entering the courtroom on a walker from injuries he says he sustained while in jail for nearly a year, Cromartie was accompanied by his wife, his attorney, J. Steedley Bogan, state Representative Leon Howard and former state Senator Kay Patterson. During proceedings, a state Supreme Court disciplinary panel maintained that Cromartie should be disbarred due to the nature of the crimes he committed. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of income tax evasion and admitted he tried to hide his income from the IRS. Cromartie’s attorney argued that his client’s nearly three-decade record of public service to the community, ongoing health concerns, time served, and remorse should permit his license to be suspended indefinitely, not taken away. Cromartie claims he never wants to practice law again, but disbarment would add to the shame he says he has already caused his family, particularly his attorney son, who also bears his name, his constituents, the community at large and the state. Remaining seated, Cromartie addressed the court with a written statement asking for mercy. He said he was willing to resign on the spot and never practice law again if it meant not being disbarred, which is the highest form of punishment for a lawyer. No word yet on a decision from the justices.