In a decision that reinforces the integrity of the legal profession, the Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the disbarment of Nashville-based attorney Robert Allen Doll, III, after his conviction on three felony charges, including subornation of aggravated perjury and criminal simulation. According to WSMV, Doll was found guilty of urging his client to lie under oath and forging her signature on a legal petition. This misconduct occurred during post-divorce proceedings in 2013 relating to the client’s child visitation concerns.

Despite facing a legal battle marked by convictions and sharp reproach from the judicial system, Doll unsuccessfully attempted to mitigate the severity of his professional punishment. Offering a shaky defense based on precedents in similar attorney misconduct cases, Fox17 reports that the Supreme Court dismissed Doll's request for suspension instead of disbarment. This decision left Doll without recourse, as disciplinary rules do not authorize Board panels or trial courts to weigh similar past sanctions.

The original emergency petition that led to the attorney's downfall aimed to prevent his client’s ex-husband from visiting their children, citing safety concerns. Doll's subsequent deceptive act involved signing off on the petition with a purportedly notarized signature from his client. The judge later terminated the order after contradictions emerged in testimony. According to Legal Newsline, Chief Justice Holly Kirby stated, "It is undisputed that the jury credited testimony showing that Mr. Doll took advantage of his client's trust and pressured her into lying," striking "through the very heart of the judicial system."

Following the trial where the client admitted never signing the petition, Fox17 elaborates that Mr. Doll directed his client to lie about having signed the document, neglecting to inform her of the punishable by law consequences for perjury. The cumulative actions of Doll resulted in his disbarment, which symbolizes a cleansing of unprofessional and deceitful practice from the bar, aspiring to maintain the sanctity of legal representation and trust in the justice system.