Anthony Michael Pastel, a former assistant public defender in Columbia and Greene Counties in upstate New York, was automatically disbarred by the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court in March 2022 following his guilty plea to a felony assault charge. The underlying conduct was severe: Pastel had repeatedly punched his then-girlfriend with a closed fist, fracturing her skull and causing a brain bleed and resulting brain damage. Legalfuel
The disbarment was not discretionary. Under New York law, a felony conviction results in immediate, automatic removal from the bar. As the court stated in its decision, “The conviction of any attorney of a New York felony results in that attorney’s automatic disbarment.” For purposes of the proceeding, the court noted that Pastel’s guilty plea “serves as the functional equivalent of a conviction,” leaving the Appellate Division with only the “mere formality” of confirming the disbarred status. Legalfuel
The Arrest: November 2020
In November 2020, Pastel was arrested in Freehold, a hamlet in the town of Greenville, by state police at Catskill. He was initially charged with attempted murder, assault, and endangering the welfare of a child. He was released after posting $25,000 bail. Legalfuel
The presence of the child endangerment charge — added to the attempted murder and assault counts — indicated that a child was present or otherwise implicated in the circumstances of the assault. The attempted murder charge reflected prosecutors’ initial assessment of the severity and intent behind the attack that fractured the victim’s skull and caused a brain bleed.
The Plea: January 2022
More than a year after his arrest, Pastel entered a guilty plea in January 2022 to felony assault — a reduction from the original attempted murder charge. The plea acknowledged that he had repeatedly struck his then-girlfriend with a closed fist, causing the skull fracture and brain injury documented by medical evidence.
Under New York Judiciary Law § 90(4), the moment an attorney is convicted of a New York felony — including through a guilty plea — their law license is automatically vacated as a matter of law. No separate disciplinary hearing or finding of professional misconduct is required. The license is gone from the moment the plea is entered.
The Disbarment: March 3, 2022
On March 3, 2022, the Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department, issued its disbarment order. The court directed that Pastel “desist and refrain from the practice of law in any form in the state of New York, either as principal or as agent, clerk or employee of another.” Legalfuel
The decision was covered by the Daily Freeman: Greene County Lawyer Who Admitted Assaulting Ex-Girlfriend Is Disbarred (March 4, 2022).
Pastel’s status in the New York attorney registry — maintained by the Office of Court Administration — is currently listed as Disbarred. His registration number, 5286059, reflects his admission to the Third Judicial Department in 2014 and his graduation from Albany Law School.
Who Was Anthony Michael Pastel?
At the time of his arrest, Pastel was working as an assistant public defender for the Columbia County Office of the Public Defender in Hudson, New York — a role that carries the specific constitutional obligation to represent indigent criminal defendants, many of whom were themselves accused of violent offenses.
Pastel was admitted to New York State practice in 2014 and graduated from Albany Law School. Etlan Virginia He had practiced for approximately six years before his arrest. Prior to his work at the Columbia County Public Defender’s office, he had also maintained a private practice address at 394 Main St., Catskill, NY — the county seat of Greene County.
The irony of a public defender being disbarred for violent criminal conduct is not lost on those who follow attorney accountability matters. Public defenders are officers of the court tasked with ensuring that the constitutional right to counsel is meaningfully upheld. The professional standards that govern their conduct are the same ones that govern all licensed attorneys in New York — and a felony conviction for violence removes that license automatically, regardless of the attorney’s role or standing within the legal community.
New York’s Automatic Disbarment Rule
New York is one of a number of states that mandates automatic disbarment upon felony conviction without any separate disciplinary proceeding. Under New York Judiciary Law § 90(4), the moment an attorney enters a guilty plea to a felony charge, their license is vacated as a matter of law.
This is a deliberate policy choice. The automatic disbarment rule reflects the view that a felony conviction — particularly for violent crime — is itself conclusive evidence of unfitness to practice law, without the need for additional proceedings. It also serves the interest of judicial efficiency: rather than requiring a full disciplinary hearing to relitigate a matter already resolved in criminal court, the system treats the criminal judgment as sufficient.
Reinstatement
Under New York law, a disbarred attorney may apply for reinstatement after seven years from the effective date of disbarment. Any application would require Pastel to demonstrate rehabilitation, fitness to practice, and that his reinstatement would not be contrary to the public interest — an extremely high bar given the nature of the underlying conduct and the severity of harm caused to the victim.
Victim Impact
The victim in this case suffered a fractured skull, a brain bleed, and resulting brain damage — injuries that are permanent in nature. The criminal case record reflects that this was not a single-incident altercation but a sustained, repeated assault. The presence of a child endangerment charge among the original counts adds a further dimension to the severity of the conduct.
The Ethics Reporter covers attorney accountability cases in the public interest. If you or someone you know has been harmed by attorney misconduct in New York, you may file a complaint with the appropriate Grievance Committee. New York is divided into four Appellate Departments, each of which oversees attorney discipline:
— First Department (Manhattan, the Bronx): Attorney Grievance Committee, First Judicial Department — Second Department (Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Long Island, and Hudson Valley counties): Grievance Committee, Second Judicial Department — Third Department (upstate New York, including Greene and Columbia Counties): Attorney Grievance Committee, Third Judicial Department — Fourth Department (western New York): Grievance Committee, Fourth Judicial Department
Disciplinary Timeline
November 2020 — Pastel arrested in Freehold, Greene County, NY by state police at Catskill; charged with attempted murder, assault, and endangering the welfare of a child; released on $25,000 bail January 2022 — Pastel pleads guilty to felony assault for repeatedly punching his then-girlfriend with a closed fist, fracturing her skull and causing a brain bleed and brain damage; felony conviction automatically vacates his law license under NY Judiciary Law § 90(4) March 3, 2022 — Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department issues formal disbarment order; Pastel ordered to cease all practice of law in New York in any capacity Current Status — Disbarred; listed as such in NYS OCA attorney registry (Registration No. 5286059)
