Tribe disbars O'Neil

The Daily Inter Lake

Jerry O'Neil, paralegal, state senator, and candidate for justice of the peace, has been disbarred from practicing law on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

O'Neil has practiced law in the tribal court for more than 20 years. No allegations have been made that he was involved in any wrongdoing.

He said Wednesday that he had no reason to believe the action is connected with his candidacy for justice of the peace.

The action was taken by the tribal court after O'Neil defended a woman in a domestic-abuse case against the son of the chief prosecutor of the tribe, he said. After O'Neil filed a motion to dismiss the case, the prosecutor said he thought O'Neil had slandered him.

O'Neil produced his license to practice law on the reservation, but a disbarment order was issued April 27. It was requested by attorney Thane Johnson, a tribal judge.

Tribal rules dictate that people who practice in tribal court must be attorneys admitted in state or higher courts, lay advocates who are members of the Blackfeet Tribe, or, at the court's discretion, "any other person to appear before it as an advocate" under certain conditions.

In its disbarment ruling, the tribal court used a definition of "advocate" as a person learned in the law and admitted to practice.

O'Neil said he plans to appeal.

"I'm proud of what I did," he said about the domestic-abuse case.

O'Neil is running for Flathead County justice of the peace. He recently persuaded the Flathead County commissioners to reverse their decision to allow only attorneys to hold the position.

In 2004, he was told to stop practicing law without a license after a complaint by the Commission of Unauthorized Practice of Law.

O'Neil has been an advocate of providing low-cost legal services and increasing people's access to court.