Bad day for lawyer: disbarred, arrested

CARLSBAD, N.M. (KRQE) - A former New Mexico attorney is facing big trouble. He was disbarred and then arrested all within hours.

His troubles began when clients who were relying on him said he left them hanging, and it just went down hill from there.

Two months ago, former Carlsbad attorney Shawn Lunsford was suspended from practicing law after he reportedly closed his business without giving clients any notice.

On Wednesday, the state Supreme Court disbarred Lunsford from practicing law for at least five years.  Wednesday night he was busted for on suspicion of drunken driving.

The arrest came after man called police to report Lunsford was following him in his SUV.

Police said it all started at a Carlsbad restaurant Wednesday night where Lunsford spotted his wife with another man and then followed the man once he left the restaurant.

"That person, not wanting to have any conflict, reportedly just got into his vehicle and left," Lt. Jennifer Moyers of the Carlsbad Police Department said.  "As he was heading home he realized he was being followed by Mr. Lunsford."

Police caught up with Lunsford, but they said he refused their orders to pull over. According to the police report, at one point Lunsford ran into the back of the car he was following and still ignored verbal commands from officers to step out of his truck.

"It seems as though he was more focused on who he was following rather than trying to get away from police," Moyers said.

Eventually, the car Lunsford was following pulled into a gas station parking lot. Police said Lunsford drove two laps around the gas station and got his pickup caught on a curb.

After several commands from officers, Lunsford finally exited his truck.  That's when police arrested Lunsford.

Police on scene said they could smell alcohol on Lunsford's breath and took him to the hospital for a blood draw. The results of the blood test are pending.

New Mexico has a fund that reimburses clients' losses caused by lawyer misconduct.

If Lunsford's clients do ask for that money, Lunsford would ultimately be responsible for paying back that fund.