Former convict Reginald Dwayne Betts, 36, recently graduated from Yale Law School.  He is a well-known author and poet who passed the state bar exam in February.  However, given his criminal history, he must now prove his “good moral character” with “clear and convincing evidence,” according to a panel of judges on the Connecticut Bar Examining Committee.  The committee is investigating Betts’ background.At the age of 16, Betts was involved in an armed robbery and carjacking.  He was convicted of three felonies and served eight years in prison.  At the time, he was an honors student but was surrounded by a neighborhood of drugs, violence and other criminal activity.

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Judge Anne Dranginis, who sits on the review committee, explained that felons are able to practice law in most states, but it is uncommon.  Kansas, Mississippi, and Texas are the exceptions. “It is not an automatic disqualifier,” Dranginis says. “There are many times where we see things that happen early in a person’s life that cease to be problems for them.  What we do see is…people take responsibility for their past conduct and very often have been rehabilitated.” The Connecticut Bar Examining Committee will hold a hearing regarding Betts’ bid for admission to the bar after they have completed their investigation.

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A Decade After Prison, a Poet Studies for the Bar ExamFrom jail to Yale: Felon faces scrutiny in bid to be lawyer