The Supreme Court of Georgia announced Monday that they had accepted a request from Claud 'Tex' McIver to suspend his law license pending an appeal of his murder conviction.
McIver was convicted last month for the September 25, 2016 murder of his wife Diane McIver. She died after being shot in the back with a handgun while sitting in the passenger seat of an SUV the couple was riding in while riding through Atlanta. Her husband was seated behind her and had a loaded revolver in his lap.
Prosecutors said McIver had a financial motive for the murder of his wife, a wealthy business magnate who was president of Atlanta-based Corey Airport Services, a firm that provides advertising in airports across the nation.
On May 23, 2018, McIver was sentenced to Life in prison for the murder with the possibility of parole, but defense attorneys promised an appeal of the sentence, saying the shooting was nothing more than a tragic accident.
"Because we agree that such a suspension is appropriate, we accept McIver's petition," said an opinion released by the Georgia Supreme Court on Monday. "Accordingly, McIver hereby is suspended from the practice of law in this state until further order of this court."
At this point, McIver remains in state custody pending his appeal.
