A Charleston attorney whose law license has been suspended since November 2020 has now been disbarred, following allegations that he mishandled client funds in two separate cases. Jason F. Taylor, who first drew attention after allegedly pointing a gun at a Charleston Police Department cadet near his home, was disbarred following the financial misconduct allegations.
Supreme Court Order Formalizes Years-Long Suspension
Taylor's law license was suspended effective Nov. 3, 2020, by order of the South Carolina Supreme Court, which stated plainly that his license was suspended until further order of the court. That suspension has now culminated in disbarment following the financial misconduct allegations, as reported by the Post and Courier.
The financial misconduct allegations stem from two separate cases dating back to 2018, the Post and Courier's reporting shows. In one, Taylor agreed to assist another attorney with a product liability case and was to locate and retain an expert witness, but the potential expert ultimately declined to serve on the case, provided no services and charged no fees. Despite that, Taylor collected $5,000 from the other attorney for the expert's retainer, and he later filed a federal court document seeking $8,000 in attorney fees and $3,101 in expenses, though he had incurred only $60 in actual expenses, per the court opinion cited in the report.
A Second Financial Case Involving a Settlement Check
In a separate matter, Taylor joined another attorney in a personal injury case and accepted a $27,500 settlement check, but did not disburse those settlement funds to the client, according to the same court opinion. The two cases formed the basis of the financial misconduct allegations.
The 2020 Gun Incident That Triggered His Suspension
Taylor's suspension traces back to an Oct. 6, 2020 incident in which a Charleston police officer and a cadet were investigating a noise complaint near his home. According to the disbarment order as reported, Taylor allegedly approached the cadet with a drawn gun and demanded to know what the cadet was doing, while the cadet was on the sidewalk. A police affidavit described in reporting from 943 WSC said Taylor approached the cadet, pulled a gun from his holster and pointed it at him. Taylor disputed that account, telling the station, “My firearm never left pointed towards the ground.”
Taylor also told Count on 2 that he felt threatened by a man dressed in all black who approached him, not realizing the man was a cadet on a ride-along with a police officer. Count on 2 described Taylor as a Charleston lawyer charged with pointing a gun at a CPD cadet. The affidavit described the cadet as being on public property.
Arrest, Charges and a Dropped Case
Charleston police arrested Taylor the day after the incident on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm, the station's report states, and he was ultimately charged with pointing and presenting a firearm in connection with the encounter. He was released on a personal-recognizance bond, according to the same report, which also noted that Taylor held a concealed-weapons permit. Taylor sat with defense attorney David Aylor days after the incident as he spoke publicly about the case.
