Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who built a career as an uncompromising crime-fighter, has been permanently disbarred from practising law in Washington DC in a ruling stemming from his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Donald Trump’s favour.

The decision came in the form of a one-page order issued by the US capital’s court of appeal and followed a similar order issued in July in New York, Giuliani’s home state.

Unlike that ruling, the decision in Washington was not directly related to his actions in Trump’s election-denying effort but was instead based on his failure to respond to a request that he explain why he should not be subject to the same penalty as meted out in New York.

“ORDERED that Rudolph W Giuliani is hereby disbarred from the practice of law in the District of Columbia, nunc pro tunc [a Latin term used in legal parlance to mean retroactive] to August 9, 2021,” Thursday’s appeal court order said.

In 2021, the appeals court had suspended Giuliani’s law licence in Washington after being notified of a similar decision in New York.

The DC bar’s board of responsibility recommended in 2022 that Giuliani’s law licence be indefinitely revoked after its investigators found him guilty of unethical conduct over inaccurate and unsupported claims he made in testimony to a federal court in Pennsylvania while disputing the 2020 election results.

The DC court of appeals order did not hinge on those findings. By contrast, the New York appeals court made similar judgments in issuing its ruling, asserting that Giuliani “repeatedly and intentionally made false statements, some of which were perjurious, to the federal court, state lawmakers, the public … and this Court concerning the 2020 Presidential election”.

Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani called the order “an absolute travesty and a total miscarriage of justice”.

“Members of the legal community who want to protect the integrity of our justice system should immediately speak out against this partisan, politically motivated decision,” he said.

The order is the latest blow to the standing of a man who was dubbed “America’s mayor” for the leadership role he played in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001, which happened when he was the city’s mayor.

Last year, two election workers in Georgia won $148m in damages after he defamed them by accusing them of fraud. A week later he filed for bankruptcy.

WASHINGTON – Heavy rain and flooded roadways complicated the morning commute Thursday for drivers across the Washington, D.C. region.

The showers and storms moved in overnight, bringing waves of heavy downpours.

Flood watches and advisories were in effect in parts of the area. Flood-prone areas like Annapolis and Old Town Alexandria saw high standing water.

Drivers on local roads were impacted by standing water and highways saw crashes and delays. A collision along southbound I-295 blocked lanes at Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue for about an hour. Residual delays from the crash extended into the morning commute. Showers and storms are likely to continue into the afternoon. 

Meanwhile, the remnants of Hurricane Helene are expected to bring wet weather to the D.C. area over the next few days. The area can expect some tropical downpours on Friday. The storm is likely to stall over the area, bringing gloomy weather with clouds, drizzle, and showers to the region over the weekend.

WASHINGTON – D.C.’s Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring is stepping down after a groundbreaking term marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and record-high homicide rates. 

In an exclusive interview with FOX 5, she discussed the impact of judicial decisions on the community, particularly in light of criticisms regarding lenient sentences for criminals.

Judge Josey-Herring responded to concerns that some repeat offenders feel that D.C. judges will quickly release them back into the community. “I do think judges think pretty hard about their decisions. And we don’t have, unfortunately, crystal balls. Sometimes we do take chances on people, and if we didn’t, we would always err on the side of locking people up no matter what,” she stated.

Throughout her tenure, Josey-Herring faced significant public criticism of the court system, including remarks from Mayor Muriel Bowser and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, who suggested that the court contributed to D.C.’s rising crime rates. 

Josey-Herring had to navigate increasing criminal caseloads amid the pandemic and deal with double-digit judicial vacancies, which forced some judges to take on twice their usual workloads. 

In 2021, Bowser labeled the court a bottleneck when discussing the issue of rising crime, while Graves indicated that sentencing was too lenient.

Josey-Herring’s public rebuttals to these criticisms are unusual for a sitting judge, highlighting her commitment to the judiciary’s integrity.

As she prepares to pass the leadership to Judge Milton Lee, Josey-Herring participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for a new addition to the courthouse. 

Despite the new space, the need for more judges remains critical. When she departs next week, there will be nine vacant seats on the Superior Court bench.

Josey-Herring also touched upon whether judges share some responsibility for the rising crime rates in the District. More details from that conversation will be featured later this week on FOX 5’s “In the Courts.”