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Kansas Supreme Court disbars former prosecutor

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Posted at 6:17 PM, May 20, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-20 19:17:46-04

The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday disbarred former prosecutor Jacqie Spradling for her conduct during a double-murder trial in Topeka in 2012.

The court said while Spradling was a prosecutor in Shawnee County, she engaged in "repeated patterns of misconduct" during the trial of Dana Chandler, who was convicted of killing her husband and his fiance.

Chandler's convictions were later overturned because of prosecutorial misconduct. She is scheduled for a new trial later this year.

The Supreme Court said Spradling ignored a court order, made arguments not supported by evidence, lied in her briefs and oral arguments and made false statements during a disciplinary investigation, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.

The Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys recommended in June 2021 that Spradling be disbarred for her "win at all costs" attitude in the Chandler case and in the 2017 conviction of Jacob Ewing, of Holton, on rape and sodomy charges.

The state Supreme Court found Spradling did not violate ethical standards in Ewing's case. The Kansas Court of Appeals reversed Ewing's conviction in 2018 but he later accepted a plea deal.

Last year, Spradling resigned from her position as assistant county attorney in Allen County and as county attorney in Bourbon County.