People v. Lee Travis Balman. 19PDJ010. February 12, 2019. The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties’ conditional admission of misconduct and suspended Lee Travis Balman (attorney registration number 41279) for one year and one day, all stayed upon successful completion of a one-year period of probation, effective February 12, 2019. The probationary requirements include completing an ethics course and complying with all terms of his criminal deferred judgment and sentence.
In October 2018, Balman pleaded guilty to two drug charges in Denver District Court. The first count was felony possession with intent to manufacture or distribute marijuana or marijuana concentrate, C.R.S. section 18-18-406(2)(B)(I),(III)(B). The second count was misdemeanor possession with intent to manufacture or distribute marijuana or marijuana concentrate, C.R.S. section 18-18-406(2)(B)(i),(III)(E). He received a two-year deferred judgment and sentence, with payment of fines and costs, which took effect October 1, 2018. He was never confined or imprisoned. According to the parties’ stipulation, the evidence indicates that Balman was growing marijuana for his personal medical use and there is no evidence he sold, distributed, or attempted to distribute marijuana. The numerous mitigating factors present in this case include that Balman was immediately suspended from the practice of law in December 2018 based on his felony conviction.
Through his conduct, Balman violated Colo. RPC 8.4(b) (a lawyer shall not commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects). The case file is public per C.R.C.P. 251.31.