Case Title: In Re Caller

Citation: 258 Kan. 250

Docket Number: 73,728

State: kansas

Court: Kansas Supreme Court

Date: 1995-07-14T00:00:00Z

Document:
258 Kan. 250 (1995)
In the Matter of ALDO P. CALLER, Respondent.
No. 73,728

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed July 14, 1995.
Marty M. Snyder, deputy disciplinary administrator, argued the cause, and Bruce E. Miller, disciplinary administrator, and Stanton A. Hazlett, deputy disciplinary administrator, were on the formal complaint for petitioner.
Louis F. Eisenbarth of Topeka, argued the cause for respondent, and Aldo P. Caller, respondent, argued the cause pro se.
Per Curiam:
This is an original proceeding in discipline filed by the office of the Disciplinary Administrator against Aldo P. Caller, an attorney admitted to the practice of law in the State of Kansas whose business address is in Kansas City, Missouri.
The pertinent facts are not in dispute and were summarized by the hearing panel as follows:
The hearing panel found respondent had violated MRPC 1.4 (1994 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 302) (client communication); MRPC 3.3 (1994 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 348) (candor toward tribunal); MRPC 3.4 (1994 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 352) (fairness to opposing party and *252 counsel); and MRPC 8.4(c), (d), and (g) (1994 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 379) (engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation; engaging in conduct prejudicial to administration of justice; and engaging in other conduct adversely reflecting on the lawyer's fitness to practice law). No exceptions have been filed to the final report of the hearing panel.
Obviously, the forging of a document, securing notarization thereof, and filing the document in court constituted serious misconduct. The final hearing report states that the panel "agonized over a recommended disposition in this case."
The closest Kansas case, factually, is In re Schmidt, 246 Kan. 178, 787 P.2d 1201 (1990). In comparing Schmidt to the facts herein, the panel reasoned as follows:
The panel then stated:
The panel found that aggravating factors were absent and that many mitigating factors were present. Included therein were, inter alia, no prior disciplinary proceedings, no selfish motive, and extreme remorse. The panel then recommended that the discipline of published censure be imposed.
We accept the panel's findings, conclusions, and recommended discipline. Like the panel, we conclude that the unique facts herein warrant the imposition of a less severe discipline than would normally be imposed for misconduct in these categories.
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Aldo P. Caller be censured in accordance with Supreme Court Rule 203(a)(3) (1994 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 189) for his violation of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this order shall be published in the official Kansas Reports and that the costs herein be assessed to respondent.