Case Title: Office of Disciplinary Counsel v. Lau

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: hawaii

Court: Hawaii Supreme Court

Date: 2010-11-24T00:00:00Z

Document:
SCAD-10-0000039 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF HAWAI#I OFFICE OF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL, Petitioner, vs. RONALD D.S. LAU, Respondent. (ODC 08-075-8718) ORDER OF SUSPENSION (By: Recktenwald, C.J., Nakayama, Acoba, and Duffy, JJ., and Circuit Judge Castagnetti, assigned by reason of vacancy) Upon consideration of the Office of Disciplinary Counsel’s petition for the immediate suspension of Respondent Ronald D.S. Lau from the practice of law for failure to cooperate with a disciplinary investigation, the memorandum and exhibits in support thereof, the record, and Respondent Lau’s response to our October 21, 2010, order to appear and show cause, it appears that Respondent Lau is the subject of a disciplinary investigation and has failed to cooperate with the investigation. Respondent Lau appears to assert that he is now willing to cooperate, but requests diversion to the Attorneys’ and Judges’ Assistance Program. Respondent Lau does not need a court order to seek the Electronically Filed Supreme Court SCAD-10-0000039 24-NOV-2010 01:54 PM services of the Attorneys’ and Judges’ Assistance Program, and the Attorneys’ and Judges’ Assistance Program is not a substitute for cooperating with a disciplinary investigation. Therefore, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, pursuant to Rule 2.12A of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawai#i, that Respondent Lau is suspended from the practice of law. This order is effective immediately and until further order of this court. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Respondent Lau’s request for diversion to the Attorneys’ and Judges’ Assistance Program is denied, without prejudice to Respondent Lau’s voluntary participation in the program. See Rule 16.4 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawai#i. IT IS FINALLY ORDERED that the Office of Disciplinary Counsel shall report to this court within 30 days after entry of this order whether Respondent Lau has cooperated with the investigation and shall recommend whether this suspension order should be vacated. DATED: Honolulu, Hawai#i, November 24, 2010. /s/ Mark E. Recktenwald /s/ Paula A. Nakayama /s/ Simeon R. Acoba, Jr. /s/ James E. Duffy, Jr. /s/ Jeannette H. Castagnetti 2