Judicial candidate Tim Bullock
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Los Alamos Attorney and Magistrate judicial candidate Tim Bullock recently discussed his own dealings with the law, which occurred some 30 years ago.
While practicing law in Colorado in 1994, Bullock, 35 years old at the time, was convicted of one felony count and one misdemeanor count for aiding an escaped convict, who was his former client, according to court documents. Bullock was sentenced on a deferred judgment and sentenced to two years of probation, 150 hours of community service and disbarred.
“I received no fine and all charges were subsequently dismissed, but I was disbarred,” Bullock said during a recent interview with the Los Alamos Daily Post.
According to the findings of fact presented by the Office of the Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the Supreme Court of Colorado in 2003, Bullock’s client was found guilty June 25, 1992, of criminally negligent child abuse and sentenced to six years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. In post-conviction proceedings, his client was granted a new trial based on ineffective representation at trial. Bullock’s client accepted a plea bargain, pled guilty to the class 4 felony of criminally negligent child abuse, and was sentenced to four years in community corrections at the Alpha Center in Denver.
The findings of fact in June 1993 further reported that the client walked away from a half-way house and knowing that his client was an escapee and fugitive from justice, Bullock aided the client’s 13-year-old son by arranging to supply the client with enough money to purchase a bus ticket and food for the son to return to his mother from Kansas. Bullock also accepted three collect phone calls from his former client.
“… I meant to help only the son of a former client,” Bullock said. “After the client’s case was completed and he was convicted, he was sentenced to prison and walked away from a halfway house following prison. He took with him his son … a 13 year old … the family was without food and the father had escaped with his son to Kansas. He agreed to stop running and turn himself in to local authorities, but he had to have a way to get his son home. I arranged to have $100 sent to him for his son’s bus ticket on condition that he turn himself in to local law enforcement. I was charged with aiding escape.”
It was stated in the findings made by the Presiding Disciplinary Judge, and other hearing board members concurred that, “Bullock has established his professional competence by passing the Colorado Bar Exam and the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam. He has been employed as a law clerk with a firm in Tennessee and has garnered the respect from his supervising attorneys, both with regard to the quality of his work and his good character … Bullock demonstrated with candor and sincerity that he has given a great deal of careful thought over the last nine years to his conduct which gave rise to the disbarment. He accepts complete responsibility for his error in judgment. He recognizes the seriousness of his previous misconduct.”
Also stated in the findings at his re-admission, the Supreme Court Committee acknowledged that the punishment he received was “disproportionate”.
It was further stated in the findings, “Bullock has demonstrated rehabilitation, professional competence and compliance with all disciplinary orders. The People further stipulated to Bullock’s readmission to the practice of law in Colorado. The evidence having established by a clear and convincing standard that Bullock has been rehabilitated, the Hearing Board herein Orders that Bullock shall be readmitted to the practice of law.”
Bullock said he learned from this experience and re-took the bar exam and was readmitted to the Colorado bar in 2003. He was admitted to the Tennessee bar the same year after sitting for the Tennessee bar exam. In 2021, Bullock was admitted to the New Mexico Bar.
Bullock noted that this case occurred some 30 years ago, “I was just trying to help a child”.
As for how he feels this experience might influence him should he be elected Magistrate judge.
“It’s certainly given me perspective,” Bullock said. “It has made me more compassionate.”
Bullock is Eagle Project Advisor for Boy Scout Troop 122 and President Elect of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos.
He practices law in New Mexico and Colorado. His license in Tennessee is inactive.
Bullock is running for Los Alamos Magistrate Court judge on the Republican ticket against Democrat Catherine Taylor, also an attorney.