Louisiana Supreme Court disbars lawyer after he pleads to sex charges with two teens
BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — The Louisiana Supreme Court agreed to permanently disbar a former assistant district attorney after he took a plea deal regarding sex acts with two teens.
In October 2020, David R. Opperman was charged with aggravated rape regarding a 2003 incident with a 13-year-old victim, according to the Supreme Court’s recounting of facts of the case. In December 2020, he was additionally charged with felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile. The reports spanned from August 2000 to July 2001 with a 16-year-old.
He was allowed to take a plea deal in June 2022. The Louisana Attorney General’s Office agreed to two counts of indecency with juveniles.
Opperman pleaded “nolo contendere” or no contest without an admission of guile regarding the allegations about the 13-year-old and guilty to the charge related to the 16-year-old.
He was sentenced to 14 years at hard labor with nine suspended. He must permanently register as a sex offender.
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Opperman is in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections.
In February 2023, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed formal charges against him, saying his actions violated the rules of professional conduct.
In his answer to ODC, Opperman reportedly said his behavior with the older teen was illegal but denied the allegations about the 13-year-old.
In a hearing, the ODC committee decided that he should be permanently disbarred.
Opperman objected.
Later, the disciplinary board reviewed the committee’s findings and agreed. The cited “egregiously unethical and abhorrent” behavior and “sexual crimes with two juveniles” to support the argument for permanent disbarment.
The Supreme Court oversees bar disciplinary issues. The justices noted that the crimes Opperman pleaded to are both felonies in Louisiana, and their only matter to decide at this point is the “appropriate sanction.”
In May 2022, the court altered the grounds for permanent disbarment. The lawyer must behave in a way “so egregious as to demonstrate a convincing lack of ethical and moral fitness to practice law,” the justices wrote. There must also be “no reasonable expectation” of a speedy character rehabilitation.
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The justices wrote that the acts taking place while he worked as an assistant district attorney was a factor in their decision. They said he expressed no remorse at the hearing, and they don’t expect a change of character.
Five of the judges who reviewed the case agreed, and two said they’d impose a regular, not permanent, disbarment.
Opperman is permanently disbarred.
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