San Luis Obispo attorney resigns from bar amid disciplinary action

January 14, 2026

John Belsher on a private jet

By KAREN VELIE

John Belsher, a San Luis Obispo-based attorney, resigned from the State Bar of California on Tuesday amid disciplinary proceedings. He asked to be immediately listed as inactive.

Even so, his resignation isn’t effective until the State Bar Court and California Supreme Court accept it, a process that requires a jointly agreed to stipulation regarding the disciplinary charges. If accepted, resigning with charges pending effectively stops ongoing disciplinary actions.

On Oct. 24, California bar investigators filed 12 disciplinary charges against Belsher, whose dishonest and self-serving actions damaged his clients. The notice of disciplinary charges includes allegations of corruption, dishonesty and breach of fiduciary duty.

For years, Belsher bilked his clients out of millions of dollars while living a life of luxury. In May 2024, SLO County Superior Court Judge Michael Kelley ordered Belsher and his former business partner Ryan Petetit-Wright to pay a more than $3.6 million judgement to Jeff and Debora Chase, which led to the state bar investigation and charges.

On Jan. 7, Belsher and a state bar attorney attended a mandatory settlement conference. After 40 minutes, they ended the conference noting, “The parties are unable to reach any compromise.”

On Jan. 8 and 9, Belsher’s wife Jody Bernat filed substitutions of attorney regarding two lawsuits Belsher had filed in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court on her behalf, one against an Arizona man and another against CalCoastNews reporter Karen Velie. Bernat is now representing herself.

On Jan. 12, Belsher filed a motion to abate, to stay the disciplinary state bar proceedings. A motion to abate asks the court to pause or suspend a case usually for competency issues or because of another pending action related to the state bar charges.

However, the court rejected the motion to abate because Belsher had failed to sign the pleading.

Then on Tuesday, Belsher filed an application to resign from the state bar with charges pending.

Belsher’s six-day trial on the state bar charges is set to begin on Feb. 18.

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