An attorney who tried to frame an Irvine PTA mother by planting drugs in her car has been disbarred, according to state bar records.
The lawyer’s ex-wife who was also an attorney had earlier been disbarred in connection with the same case.
Kent Easter and his then-wife Jill Easter attempted to get their victim, Kelli Peters, fired from her volunteer post after their son was briefly locked out of school as he waited for his mother to pick him up.
When those attempts failed, the two had drugs planted in Peters’ car and Kent Easter called police. Law enforcement officers initially detained Peters, but they soon realized it was a set- up.
Peters won a $5.7 million lawsuit against the disgraced former attorneys in February 2016. Kent Easter has dropped his appeal in that case and is representing his ex-wife in her appeal, according to court records.
It wasn’t clear if she’ll need a new lawyer after her husband was disbarred.
Court records obtained Tuesday showed Kent Easter agreed to the disbarment in February and it became official July 23.
A message left with Easter was not immediately returned.
The state bar moved to disbar Easter after he was convicted in the revenge scheme on Sept. 11, 2014. Easter was sentenced to six months in jail and 100 hours of community service the following month.
Easter appealed but then dropped his appeal in February 2016.
The once highly paid and respected Newport Beach litigator had no prior discipline, but his crime was deemed too serious to avoid disbarment, according to the state bar.
Easter’s conviction “clearly demonstrate actions of dishonesty, deceit and the misuse of law enforcement to engage in criminal acts,” according to the state bar.
Easter’s ex-wife, Jill Easter, was disbarred Oct. 16, 2014, following her guilty plea in the case. She was sentenced to 120 days in jail and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
–City News Service