Case Title: BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WYOMING STATE BAR, v. CLAY B. JENKINS, WSB No. 5 2249

Citation: 

Docket Number: D-11-0003

State: wyoming

Court: Wyoming Supreme Court

Date: 2011-06-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WYOMING STATE BAR, v. CLAY B. JENKINS, WSB No. 5 22492011 WY 89Case Number: D-11-0003Decided: 06/01/2011NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in Pacific Reporter Third. Readers are requested to notify the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Supreme Court Building, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82002, of any typographical or other formal errors so correction may be made before final publication in the permanent volume.
April Term, A.D. 2011

 
 
BOARD 
OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WYOMING STATE 
BAR,Petitioner,v.CLAY B. JENKINS,WSB No. 
5-2249,Respondent.

 
 

 
 

[¶1]      This 
matter came 
before the Court upon a "Report and Recommendation," filed herein May 19, 2011, 
by the Board of Professional Responsibility for the Wyoming State Bar, pursuant 
to Section 16 of the Disciplinary Code for the Wyoming State Bar (stipulated 
discipline).  The Court, after a 
careful review of the Board of Professional Responsibility's Report and 
Recommendation, the "Stipulated Motion for Public Censure and to File A Report 
and Recommendation," the "Affidavit of Clay B. Jenkins," and the file, finds 
that the Report and Recommendation should be approved, confirmed and adopted by 
the Court, and that Respondent Clay B. Jenkins should be publicly censured in 
the manner set forth in the Report and Recommendation.  It is, therefore,

 
 
[¶2]      ADJUDGED AND ORDERED that the Board of 
Professional Responsibility's Report and Recommendation, which is attached 
hereto and incorporated herein (without attachments), shall be, and the same 
hereby is, approved, confirmed, and adopted by this Court; and it is 
further

 
 
[¶3]      ADJUDGED AND ORDERED that, as a result 
of the conduct set forth in the Report and Recommendation, Mr. Jenkins shall 
receive a public censure, and he shall be publicly censured in a manner 
consistent with the recommended censure contained in the Report and 
Recommendation; and it is further 

 
 
[¶4]      ORDERED that, 
pursuant to Section 26 of the Disciplinary Code for the Wyoming State Bar, Mr. 
Jenkins shall reimburse the Wyoming State Bar the amount of $50.00, representing 
the costs incurred in handling this matter, as well as pay the administrative 
fee of $500.00.  Mr. Jenkins shall 
pay the total amount of $550.00 to the Clerk of the Board of Professional 
Responsibility on or before July 1, 2011; and it is further

 
 
[¶5]      ORDERED that the Clerk of this Court 
shall docket this Order of Public Censure, along with the incorporated Report 
and Recommendation, as a matter coming regularly before this Court as a public 
record; and it is further

 
 
[¶6]      ORDERED that, pursuant to Section 4(c) 
of the Disciplinary Code for the Wyoming State Bar, this Order of Public 
Censure, along with the incorporated Report and Recommendation, shall be 
published in the Wyoming Reporter and the Pacific Reporter; and it is 
further

 
 

[¶7]      
ORDERED that the 
Clerk of this Court cause a copy of the Order of Public Censure to be served 
upon Respondent Clay B. Jenkins; and it is further

 

[¶8]      
ORDERED that the 
Clerk of this Court transmit a copy of this Order of Public Censure to members 
of the Board of Professional Responsibility and to the clerks of the appropriate 
courts of the State of Wyoming.

 
 

[¶9]      
DATED this 1st 
day of June, 2011.

 
 
                                                                        
BY THE COURT:

                                                            
     

                                                
                        
/s/

 
 
                                                                        
MARILYN S. KITE

                                                                        
Chief Justice

 
 
 
BEFORE THE SUPREME 
COURT

 
 
STATE OF 
WYOMING

 
 

CLAY B. 
JENKINS,                                                
) 

WSB No. 5-2249,                                         
)

                                                                        
)           
Docket No. 2011-009

                        
Respondent.                                    
)

 
 
 
 
REPORT 
AND RECOMMENDATION

The 
Board of Professional Responsibility makes the following Report and 
Recommendation, with its findings of fact, conclusions of law, and 
recommendation to the Supreme Court of Wyoming: 

FINDINGS 
OF FACT

1.         Respondent 
is a licensed attorney in the State of Wyoming, Bar # 5-2249.  Respondent has submitted an affidavit 
setting forth the following facts:

2.         On two occasions, Respondent attempted to utilize a third 
person to communicate information to and/or obtain information from a person who 
was represented by counsel in a child custody matter in which 
Respondent represented the 
father.  The attempted 
contact was not successful, and Respondent obtained no information 
thereby.

3.         Respondent 
agrees that his conduct violated Rule 4.2 of the 
Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys at Law, which provides, "In 
representing a client, a lawyer shall not communicate about the subject of the 
representation with a person or entity the lawyer knows to be represented by 
another lawyer in the matter, unless the lawyer has the consent of the other 
lawyer or is authorized to do so by law or a court 
order."

4.         Respondent 
is extremely embarrassed by this matter, has apologized for his actions and will 
take steps in his practice to assure that nothing like this ever happens 
again.

5.         Respondent 
has agreed to a public censure in this matter.

CONCLUSIONS 
OF LAW

6.         
Standard 2.5 of the ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions states, 
"Reprimand, also known as censure or public censure, is a form of public 
discipline which declares the conduct of the lawyer improper, but does not limit 
the lawyer's right to practice.  The 
commentary to Standard 2.5 discusses the proper circumstances in which to impose 
a public censure as well as the rationale behind this form of 
discipline:

Publicity enhances the 
effect of the discipline and emphasizes the concern of the court with all lawyer 
misconduct, not only serious ethical violations.  A reprimand is appropriate in cases 
where the lawyer's conduct, although violating ethical standards, is not serious 
enough to warrant suspension or disbarment.  *  
*  *  A reprimand serves the useful purpose of 
identifying lawyers who have violated ethical standards, and, if accompanied by 
a published opinion, educates members of the bar as to these 
standards.

 
 
            
7.         
Standard 3.0 provides, "In imposing a sanction after a finding of lawyer 
misconduct, a court should consider the following 
factors:"

(a)  
the duty 
violated;

(b)  
the lawyer's mental 
state; and

(c)  
the actual or potential 
injury caused by the lawyer's misconduct; and

(d)  
the existence of 
aggravating or mitigating factors.

 
 
            
8.         
Misconduct of the sort engaged in by Respondent is addressed in Standard 
6.2, "Abuse of the Legal Process."  

Absent aggravating or 
mitigating circumstances, upon application of the factors set out in Standard 
3.0, the following sanctions are generally appropriate in cases involving *  *  
*  failure to obey any 
obligation under the rules of the tribunal *  *  
*:

 
 
6.21    Disbarment is generally 
appropriate when a lawyer knowingly violates a court order or rule with the 
intent to obtain a benefit for the lawyer or another, and causes serious injury 
or potentially serious injury to a party, or causes serious or potentially 
serious interference with a legal proceeding.

 
 
6.22    Suspension is appropriate 
when a lawyer knows that he is violating a court order or rule, and there is 
injury or potential injury to a client or a party, or interference or potential 
interference with a legal proceeding.

 
 
6.23    Reprimand [i.e, public 
censure] is generally appropriate when a lawyer negligently fails to comply with 
a court order or rule, and causes injury or potential injury to a client or 
other party, or causes interference or potential interference with a legal 
proceeding.

 
 
6.24    Admonition [i.e., private 
reprimand] is generally appropriate when a lawyer negligently fails to comply 
with a court order or rule, and causes injury or potential injury to a client or 
other party, or causes interference or potential interference with a legal 
proceeding.

 
 

            
9.         
Respondent's misconduct appears to fall into a gray area.  On the one hand, his violation of Rule 
4.2 was knowing, as opposed to negligent.  
He did attempt to gain information from a 
represented person without going through the person's lawyer.  On the other hand, the attempted 
communication did not take place, so there was no injury, or potential injury, 
and the information he attempted to obtain was fairly 
innocuous.

            
10.       
ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions 9.1 provides for 
consideration of aggravating and mitigating circumstances in deciding on an 
appropriate sanction.  Section 9.21 
defines aggravating circumstances as "any consideration, or factors that may 
justify an increase in the degree of discipline to be imposed."  Section 9.31 defines mitigating 
circumstances as "any considerations, or factors that may justify a reduction in 
the degree of discipline to be imposed."

            
a.         Applicable 
aggravating factors are:

i.  Section 9.22(i)-substantial experience 
in the practice of law. Respondent was first admitted to practice in Wyoming in 
1984.

                                    
ii.  Section 9.22(a)-prior 
disciplinary offenses.  Respondent 
received a public reprimand in 2002 for which the following press release was 
published:

Sheridan attorney Clay 
Jenkins received a formal public reprimand by order of the Wyoming Supreme Court 
on June 25, 2002.  Although Mr. 
Jenkins properly maintained an office account for his own funds and a trust 
account for client funds, he sometimes deposited initial fee payments under 
$500.00 from clients into the office account if he expected to use up those 
monies within a few days of receiving them. He did not convert any of the client 
funds.  No client lost any money 
whatsoever.

 
 
The Wyoming Rules of 
Professional Conduct regulate the conduct of Wyoming attorneys.  Mr. Jenkins violated Rule 1.15 which 
requires an attorney keep client funds separate from the lawyer's own 
property.  Mr. Jenkins violated this 
Rule when he paid himself by depositing the fees into his office account before 
they were earned.

 
 
Mr. Jenkins stipulated 
to these facts and consented to this discipline.  The Board of Professional Responsibility 
approved the stipulation, recommending that the Wyoming Supreme Court publicly 
reprimand Mr. Jenkins. After reviewing the record and recommendation, the 
Wyoming Supreme Court entered its order publicly reprimanding Mr. Jenkins and 
requiring him to pay the costs of the Wyoming State Bar for prosecuting this 
matter.

 
 
            
b.         
Applicable mitigating factors are:

                        
i.  Section 9.32(b)-absence 
of a dishonest or selfish motive;

ii. Section 9.32(e)-full 
and free disclosure to disciplinary board and cooperative attitude toward 
proceedings;

                        
iii.  Section 
9.32(l)-remorse; and

                        
iv.  Section 
9.32(m)-remoteness of prior offenses.

RECOMMENDATION 
TO THE SUPREME COURT OF WYOMING

11.       The Board 
recommends that the public censure read as follows:

 
 

"Sheridan attorney 
Clay B. Jenkins received 
a formal public censure by order of the Wyoming Supreme Court on 
_________.  On two occasions, Mr. Jenkins 
attempted to utilize a third person to communicate with a person who was 
represented by counsel in a child custody matter in which Mr. Jenkins 
represented the father.  The attempted contact was not successful, 
and Mr. Jenkins obtained no information thereby.  Mr. Jenkins violated Rule 4.2 of the Rules of Professional Conduct 
for Attorneys at Law, which provides, In representing a client, a lawyer shall 
not communicate about the subject of the representation with a person or entity 
the lawyer knows to be represented by another lawyer in the matter, unless the 
lawyer has the consent of the other lawyer or is authorized to do so by law or a 
court order.'  

 
 
Mr. Jenkins stipulated to these facts 
and consented to this discipline.  The Board of Professional Responsibility 
approved the stipulation, recommending that the Wyoming Supreme Court publicly 
censure Mr. Jenkins. After reviewing the record and recommendation, the Wyoming 
Supreme Court entered its order publicly censuring Mr. Jenkins and requiring him 
to pay some of the costs of the Wyoming State Bar for prosecuting this 
matter."

 
 
 12.  
As an appropriate sanction for his violations of Rule 4.2 of the Wyoming 
Rule of Professional Conduct, the Board of Professional Responsibility 
recommends that Respondent:  (1) 
receive a public censure; and (2) be ordered to pay the administrative fee in 
the amount of $500.00 and costs of $50.00 within ten days of approval of the 
report and recommendation by the Wyoming Supreme 
Court.

Dated 
this 12th day of May 2011.

___________________________

Francis E. Stevens, 
Chair

Board of Professional 
Responsibility

                                                                        
            
Wyoming State Bar

 
 
 
 
CERTIFICATE OF 
SERVICE

 
 
I 
do hereby certify that a true and correct copy of this Report and Recommendation was mailed by 
United States Mail, postage prepaid, on May 19, 2011 to:

 
 
            
Robert W. Brown

            
Lonabaugh & Riggs, LLP

            
50 South Loucks Street, Suite 110

            
P.O. Drawer 5059

            
Sheridan, WY 82801

            
Counsel for Respondent

 
 
            
Clay B. Jenkins

            
Jenkins Law Office

            
Old Post Office Building

            
45 East Loucks Street, Suite 208

            
Sheridan, WY 82801

            
Respondent

 
 
and a copy was hand 
delivered to:

            
Mark W. Gifford, Bar Counsel

            
Wyoming State Bar

            
P.O. Box 109

            
Cheyenne, WY 82003

 
 
            
                                                                        
______________________________

                                                                                    
Patricia Becklinger, Clerk

Board of Professional 
Responsibility