Bossier attorney found guilty of illegally notarizing documents
BOSSIER PARISH, LA (KSLA)
A Bossier attorney faces up to six years in jail after being found guilty of illegally notarizing documents.
Michael David Cox, 70, was found guilty of three counts of the unauthorized exercise of notarial powers.
"Many people assume that just because you are an attorney you are automatically a notary but that is not correct," said Bossier Parish Assistant District Attorney Richard Ray, in a news release. “Apparently the Notary Commission rejected his application many years ago but he acted as a notary anyway.”
In Louisiana, legal documents such as deeds, wills, and affidavits must be properly executed by a commissioned Notary Public. If not done correctly — it can cause serious and long-lasting problems for victims.
“Cox testified in a civil proceeding in 2015 that he knew he was not a notary yet he continued to act as a notary," Ray said.
Ray prosecuted the case.
Cox and his wife Sharon are facing felony charges stemming from an alleged theft of money and property from the estate of a disabled client.
The couple is accused of improperly diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and property from the minor child of a deceased client.
Trial on the felony charges is scheduled for June.
The Louisiana Supreme Court issued an order in January, suspending Cox from the practice of law, pending further investigation.
Cox was also once a physician but, according to the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners, his medical license was previously revoked, according to a news release.
