How would you like to be up for a double murder and then learn that your lawyer was sleeping with your wife during the trial? That is what Robert Caulley learned after he was sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of a father and mother. Then he learned that his now ex-wife (no surprise there) was sleeping with his lawyer, James D. Owen. Owen is now trying to keep his license while admitting that he violated the core ethical rules governing our profession. Not only did he have an affair with the wife of a client, but could be viewed as having an incentive to shackle the cuckold. If his client were to lose, it could be viewed as a good way to get rid of an inconvenient husband.
In what was viewed as a burglary gone bad, Lois and Charles Caulley were beaten and stabbed to death in their home on Jan. 16, 1994. Robert Caulley was the one who called police after he said that he found their bodies. Three years later, the police subjected Caulley to an unrecorded interrogation and obtained a confession that he later said was coerced.
The disclosure came out 14 years after the trial. It was revealed that he would have sex with the wife in his office and at a cabin. Only hours after the conviction of his client, Owen allegedly took Celeste Caulley Bowman to a local motel to have sex. She says in an affidavit that it was in the tryst after the conviction that Owen said that he loved her. Bad timing all around.
She said that they would have sex as many as four times a week and that Owen encouraged her to leave Caulley.
She had been married to Caulley for eight years before his conviction. They divorced in 2000.
To her credit, Bowman has come forward, if belatedly, to help her former husband. Caulley has been granted a new trial. The question is whether this ethical breach 15 years ago should bar Owen from practicing law.
The Caulley trial is notably omitted from the list of famous cases on Owen’s website. He is a graduate of Capital University Law School.
What do you think? Should this be a disbarring offense after he admitted guilt or should he face suspension only?
Source: Dispatch
Parents friend – Your facts are wrong – if you attended the entire trial or even took the time to read the transcripts (public record) you would know this. There was never any DNA or ANY evidence of any kind – the prosecution has stipulated to that fact IN COURT. During opening statements, the prosecution SAID – “… no evidence…” In fact there is DNA and other evidence that points to an unknown person or persons. I find it interesting that you say he had “more than ample time to “clean the weapon…” There were multiple weapons used – multiple knives and other weapons – none of them “cleaned”. Again – this was all brought out in court. I suggest before you form such a strong opinion – you get your facts straight. Bob Caulley had no motive… the business was doing well and he had degree in aeronautical engineering – a career he was successful in and could have gone back to if he desired. I find it interesting that ALL those who owed the Caulleys money – you included, were very quick to jump on the bandwagon and point their fingers at Bob Caulley. If you are who I think you are, you owed them quite a LOT of money.
First of all you don’t have your facts straight, the company was paid what was owed to Charles Caulley Plumbing and not Robert which it should not have been anyways, Second of all I really don’t care what the court proceedings said, you did not work with them on a daily basis, I did. God will judge not you or I but I do have a strong opinion and I yes personally think he is guilty but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. As for his engineering degree, Robert couldn’t make it in the real world or he would have stayed doing the job he was doing before coming home to work in the family business. As for the attorney, why did she wait so long before fessing up? In fact he should be disbarred, Maybe Robert didn’t get a fair trial so now he gets one.
I guess everyone is forgetting that Robert murdered his parents and confessed. I personally worked with them each and every day and they did not deserve this. Robert wanted the plumbing business and him and his father would out and out argue in public over who was running the company. The day after they were found all Robert wanted to know is how much we owed his father and when he could get it settled. I find this disgusting that all of a sudden Celeste has a heart and wanted to help Bob, Big flippin deal. He should die for what he did, knowone can convince me he didn’t commit the crime. DNA at the crime scene, he was in the house every day and the day he finds them, he had more than ample time to clean the weapon.As for the attorney, he was thinking with the wrong head and should get punished but should also have to pay for the trial not taxpayers.
Yeah, the guy should be disbarred. It’s not even close. Putting aside the tackiness factor, the lawyer has a massive conflict of interest. He has an incentive to have his client incarcerated so he can have the client’s wife. Lawyers should always remember the hamburger rule: don’t get your meat in the same place that you get your bread.
The toughest job I ever had where ethics were concerned was when I was a human and worked a cathouse in East Saint Louis, IL. They were supposed to pay me a dollar fifty an hour to clean the rooms. At the end of the night of my first night on the job, three of the gals paid me “in trade”. The boss was mad because they didn’t pay me in money and I went home broke but happy. I solved the problem the next night but I can give up the story unless somebody shows some interest.