Sedona AZ – Attorney Nicole Marie Abarca of Phoenix was suspended for two years on July 3, 2019 after being convicted of facilitation to commit shoplifting with artifice and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was already serving a six-month and one day suspension after failing to comply with the State Bar diversion program and subsequent investigation stemming from related criminal activity.

Abarca was convicted of shoplifting in three separate criminal proceedings in March and July of 2018. In October 2018, she was convicted of the crimes that led to her two year suspension. During her arrest Abarca admitted to using heroin for approximately 2.5 years.

A news release on Abarca’s earlier suspension is available here.

Nicole Marie Abarca’s two-year suspension was effective on July 3, 2019. She was ordered to pay $2,000 for the costs and expenses incurred by the State Bar of Arizona during disciplinary proceedings.

Consumers may report attorney misconduct by calling the State Bar of Arizona Attorney/Consumer Assistance Program (A/CAP) hotline at 602-340-7280.

The State Bar of Arizona is a non-profit organization that operates under the supervision of the Arizona Supreme Court. The Bar includes approximately 24,500 attorneys and provides education and development programs for the legal profession and the public. Since 1933 the Bar and its members have been committed to serving the public by making sure the voices of all people in Arizona are heard in our justice system.