Former Lower Southampton attorney and public safety director disbarred



Alex Lloyd Gross – photo- Delaware valley News.com, File photo of the Lower Southampton Police Station

By Alex Lloyd Gross

When Robert P. Hoopes was the director of Public Safety for Lower Southampton Township. he gave up his law practice to serve as the Director of  Public Safety. He was indicted in December 2016 for federal charges along with former District Justice John Waltman and former Constable Bernard Rafferty. Those charges stem from a long investigation that alleged the trio was involved in money laundering and insurance fraud.

Today, , January 7, 2019, the Pennsylvania Bar Association suspended Hoopes law license permanently, after he refused the opportunity to defend himself from charges levied against him, from the bar association.    Hoopes had run a very small law practice in the Doylestown area and was not involved in any high profile cases. Hoopes will not be permitted to work as an attorney again. Given his age and the severity of charges against him, it is unlikely that he will find another state that will allow him to sit for a bar exam.  In  fact, many states have reciprocal agreements which means if your law license is suspended in one state, it is suspended in every state you have a law license in. Hoopes pleased guilty in December to four counts of extortion under the Hobbs Act and  one county of money laundering.

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