Patricia Cudd, an attorney representing Chanell Santistevan in a federal lawsuit against the Denver police, has been disbarred, according to court records.
Cudd did not return a call seeking comment late Thursday.
The discipline takes effect Nov. 15 and has to do with Cudd mixing her own funds with client funds and not keeping adequate billing statements and bank records, according to Colorado Supreme Court records.
“It should be noted that none of (Cudd’s) clients lost any money and that she fully cooperated…and expressed remorse regarding her actions,” the record says.
Santistevan sued Denver SWAT officers claiming they killed her 5-year-old son, Deion, and her husband, Elias Santistevan, with a single bullet during an August 2006 standoff.
Police say Santistevan shot Deion and then killed himself and a coroner’s report showed the father and son each had contact wounds to the head.
The lawsuit never mentioned what evidence Santistevan has to show that her husband and son were killed by police.
Santistevan must find a replacement attorney by Nov. 12 or represent herself.
