On behalf of more than 300 attorneys in Tennessee, attorney Sunny Eaton has filed a request with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility to seek an emergency suspension of Northcott’s law license due to his statements that surfaced in June that he does not believe domestic violence laws should be used to protect people in same-sex relationships.
According to a report by WTVF in Nashville, Eaton cites Northcott’s written response to an ethics complaint Eaton filed against Northcott early in June.
Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott
In a letter written by Eaton Monday, she says: “Mr. Northcott’s written reply to the complaint removes all doubt as to his current defiance of the rule of law and intent to further engage in conduct beneath the decency required of our profession along with raising serious questions as to his competency and fitness to practice.”
Northcott wrote to the board of professional responsibility that his intent in part is to honor what he knows has been the desire of the LGBTQ community – “keeping the government out of their bedrooms.”
You may remember that Northcott said in the video that domestic violence laws are to protect marriage, and there is no marriage to protect in same-sex cases.
According to WTVF, Northcott claims his policy is based on the 1996 vote to amend the Tennessee constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage.
Eaton’s request goes on to say: “any attorney who believes he has the power to ignore the decisions of the United States Supreme Court is in violation of his oath and is disqualified from practice of law.”
In Northcott’s letter to the board, he also states that he does not believe that only christians have constitutional rights, saying “this could not be further from the truth.”
