A Maryland attorney filed a complaint after a police officer accused him of pretending to be a lawyer.

Rashad James was in a Harford County, Maryland, courtroom on March 6 to request an expunged record for a no-show client who had a warrant out for his arrest. After his request was granted, James tried to leave but was approached by a Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputy, according to The Washington Post.

The deputy, who sat through the hearing, thought James was faking his credentials. The officer even called him by his client’s name when they spoke. James corrected the deputy who then asked for identification.

James produced his driver’s license, but the officer wasn’t satisfied. The attorney was taken to another room where he was asked to show his bar certification and a business card. He didn’t have either in his possession, so the officer made a phone call to verify James’ credentials. After 10 minutes with the deputy, James was allowed to leave.

Andrew D. Freeman and Chelsea J. Crawford, James’ attorneys, called the incident a case of “lawyering while Black."

The court appearance marked James' first time working in the county, and until that day, he'd never been asked to prove he was a lawyer.

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“This is actually the first time this has occurred to me, and I do not know of any colleagues who have had a similar experience,” James told The Baltimore Sun. “In the moment, it was sort of surreal in the sense that I guess it was just one of those unexpected things that I just did not anticipate.”

“This is another instance of a suspicion and second guessing that attaches to Black men,” Crawford said during a press conference. “This is a place where lawyers are supposed to be confident advocates for their clients. And how can you do that if there is a fear that you are going to be accused of being the client impersonating the lawyer or perpetrating a fraud on the court?”

Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler confirmed the incident was under investigation.

“We take all complaints seriously,” he said in a statement. “If those claims are founded and violations of agency policy are revealed, we will take immediate and appropriate administrative action. Until that time, this investigation is active, and we cannot make further comment. As Sheriff, it is my hope that you will respect the investigative process and reserve judgment until all facts are discovered."

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