Supreme Court of Georgia · bar discipline

In the Matter of Alan Christopher Norton

Filed May 13, 2025 · Docket S25Y0899

The Supreme Court of Georgia accepted the voluntary surrender of law license from Alan Christopher Norton, an attorney who admitted forging a judge's signature on court orders, ending his ability to practice law in Georgia.

In plain language

Alan Christopher Norton, a lawyer licensed in both Georgia and Tennessee, was indicted in Tennessee on forgery and criminal simulation charges after he admitted signing a Chancellor's name, without permission, on three emergency orders in a case where he represented a party. Norton acknowledged this violated Georgia's ethics rule against dishonest professional conduct. Before the State Bar of Georgia filed formal disciplinary charges, Norton asked the Supreme Court of Georgia to let him voluntarily give up his law license rather than face a disciplinary proceeding. The State Bar agreed this should be accepted. The court reviewed the petition and agreed, treating the voluntary surrender as equivalent to disbarment.

What the court decided

The court accepted Norton's petition to voluntarily surrender his Georgia law license after he admitted forging a judge's signature on court orders, a violation of the rule against professional conduct involving fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation, treating the surrender as equivalent to disbarment.

Why it matters

The decision permanently removes an attorney from practicing law in Georgia after he admitted forging a judge's signature, protecting clients and the courts from further misconduct and reinforcing that dishonest conduct toward the judicial system carries the most severe professional consequence.

Outcome

Voluntary surrender of license accepted

How the court got there

Norton admitted forging the signature of a Tennessee Chancellor on three emergency orders in a conservatorship case where he represented one of the parties, without any authorization to do so.
This conduct violated Rule 8.4(a)(4) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, which forbids a lawyer from engaging in professional conduct involving fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation, and carries a maximum penalty of disbarment.
Norton filed a petition to voluntarily surrender his law license before the State Bar issued a formal complaint, which under the Bar's rules is treated as the equivalent of disbarment.
The State Bar reviewed the matter and recommended that the court accept the petition, and the court, relying on precedent treating voluntary surrender as tantamount to disbarment, agreed to accept it.

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