Court Denies Murderer’s Admission to State Bar

A convicted murderer who graduated from law school after getting out of prison was denied admission to the bar by the state Supreme Court because of a lack of “good moral character.”

James Hamm, who served 17 years for his part in a robbery that left two men dead, had asked the court to allow him to practice law even though a state court commission had recommended against his application, citing the seriousness of the crime. Hamm, 57, has been working as a paralegal in Phoenix.