--- title: In the Matter of Shaquandra A. Woods collection: opinions id: S24Y0566 cite_as: In the Matter of Shaquandra A. Woods, 318 Ga. 609 (2024) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/S24Y0566 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/S24Y0566.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/S24Y0566/text source_url: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10680373/in-the-matter-of-shaquandra-a-woods/ date: 2024-03-05 status: published corpus_version: opinions-2026-09-14 license: Public record of the Supreme Court of Georgia, via CourtListener and the court's own website; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/2024.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/S24A0095.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/S24Y0099.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/index.md omitted: opinion extras omitted_chars: 1251 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/S24Y0566.md?full=1 docket: S24Y0566 citation: 318 Ga. 609 court: Supreme Court of Georgia case_type: bar discipline authoring_justice: Per Curiam disposition: Petition for interim suspension accepted; suspended until further order of the court vote: All the Justices concur word_count: 449 date_filed_source: courtlistener citations: - 899 S.E.2d 209 record_source: courtlistener legal_areas: - professional discipline upstream_id: "10680373" summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 --- # In the Matter of Shaquandra A. Woods Supreme Court of Georgia, docket S24Y0566, filed 2024-03-05, 318 Ga. 609. ## Opinion 318 Ga. 609 FINAL COPY S24Y0566. IN THE MATTER OF SHAQUANDRA A. WOODS. PER CURIAM. This disciplinary matter is before the Court on the Petition for Voluntary Suspension of License Pending Appeal filed by Shaquandra A. Woods (State Bar No. 579239) seeking the voluntary suspension of her license to practice law pending the outcome of an appeal of her criminal conviction, filed prior to the issuance of a formal complaint under Bar Rule 4-227 (b) (2). In her petition, Woods, who has been a member of the Bar since 2019, admits that on December 8, 2023, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, she was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a felony, under 18 USC § 1349 and that her sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2024. Woods admits that her conviction violates Rule 8.4 (a) (2) of the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct found in Bar Rule 4-102 (d). The maximum penalty for a violation of Rule 8.4 (a) (2) is disbarment. Woods represents that she plans to appeal her conviction. Woods states that she will notify the State Bar of the final disposition of her appeal within ten days of that disposition and that she will also comply with the requirements of Bar Rule 4-219 (b). Woods prays that the Court accept her Petition for Voluntary Suspension of License Pending Appeal. In its response, the State Bar recommends that this Court accept Woods’s Petition for Voluntary Suspension of License Pending Appeal. We have reviewed the record and agree to accept Woods’s Petition for Voluntary Suspension of License Pending Appeal. See In the Matter of Huber, 314 Ga. 426 (877 SE2d 243) (2022) (accepting petition seeking an order of interim suspension of license pending appeal of criminal convictions); In the Matter of McIver, 303 Ga. 802 (815 SE2d 53) (2018) (accepting petition seeking voluntary suspension of license pending outcome of appeal of criminal convictions). Accordingly, it is hereby ordered that Shaquandra A. Woods be suspended from the practice of law in this State pending the outcome of her appeal and until further order of this Court. Woods is ordered to notify the State Bar’s Office of General Counsel in writing within ten days of the final disposition of her appeal. Woods is reminded of her duties pursuant to Bar Rule 4-219 (b). Petition for interim suspension accepted. Suspension until further order of this Court. All the Justices concur. Decided March 5, 2024. Suspension. Warren R. Hinds, for Woods. Paula J. Frederick, General Counsel State Bar, William D. NeSmith III, Deputy General Counsel State Bar, Jenny K. Mittelman, Andreea N. Morrison, Assistant General Counsel State Bar, for State Bar of Georgia. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the opinion above and is not part of the court's opinion. Quote the opinion, not the summary. The Supreme Court of Georgia agreed to suspend Savannah-area attorney Shaquandra A. Woods from practicing law while she appeals a federal wire fraud conviction, granting her own request for a voluntary suspension. ### Plain-language summary Shaquandra A. Woods, a lawyer admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 2019, was found guilty in federal court in the Southern District of Georgia of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a felony. Before the State Bar filed formal disciplinary charges against her, Woods asked the Supreme Court of Georgia to suspend her law license while she appeals her conviction, rather than waiting for the disciplinary process to run its course. Woods admitted that her conviction violated the rule against a lawyer committing a felony, which can lead to disbarment. She promised to tell the State Bar within ten days after her appeal is finally decided and to follow other Bar rules for suspended lawyers. The State Bar agreed with her request, and the Supreme Court of Georgia reviewed the record and granted the suspension until further order of the court. ### Holding, as summarized The court held that Woods's petition for voluntary suspension pending appeal should be accepted, and ordered her suspended from practicing law in Georgia until her criminal appeal is resolved and until the court orders otherwise. ### Disposition Petition for interim suspension accepted; suspended until further order of the court. All the Justices concur. ### Why it matters Woods cannot practice law in Georgia while her appeal is pending, protecting clients and the public from being represented by someone convicted of a felony involving dishonesty. The case also shows how Georgia lawyers can seek suspension themselves before formal Bar charges are filed. > The summarized reasoning, checked quotes, suggested questions, and the CourtListener opinion records (1,251 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/opinions/S24Y0566.md?full=1