Case Title: Louisiana State Bar Association v. Brown

Citation: 291 So. 2d 385

Docket Number: 

State: louisiana

Court: Louisiana Supreme Court

Date: 1974-02-18T00:00:00Z

Document:
291 So. 2d 385 (1974) LOUISIANA STATE BAR ASSOCIATION v. John Sidney BROWN. No. 52272. Supreme Court of Louisiana. February 18, 1974. Rehearing Denied March 22, 1974. Milton P. Masinter, New Orleans, Edgar N. Quillin, Arabi, for defendant-respondent. John F. Pugh, Chairman, Thibodaux, Curtis R. Boisfontaine, James H. Drury, New Orleans, Leonard Fuhrer, Alexandria, A. Leon Hebert, Baton Rouge, Edgar H. Lancaster, Jr., Tallulah, Henry A. Politz, Shreveport, A. Russell Roberts, Metairie, John B. Scofield, Lake Charles, Thomas O. Collins, Jr., New Orleans, for La. State Bar Association. SANDERS, Chief Justice. The Louisiana State Bar Association instituted this disbarment proceeding against John Sidney Brown, an attorney, with the following specification of misconduct: An investigative hearing was held by the Committee on Professional Responsibility. Concluding that the respondent attorney had been guilty of professional misconduct, the committee filed a disbarment petition in this Court. Under the provisions of Article XV, Section 6 of the Articles of Incorporation of the Louisiana State Bar Association, a Commissioner was appointed to take evidence and to report to this Court his findings of fact and conclusions of law. The Commissioner's hearing was held on December 6, 1972. On July 19, 1973, the Commissioner filed a report in which he found that the respondent attorney was guilty of professional misconduct of sufficient gravity to require disciplinary action. The Commissioner found that Allan Johnston retained Mr. Brown on June 23, 1969, to represent him in a workmen's compensation proceeding. On October 23, 1969, the attorney filed suit on Johnston's behalf. The suit was entitled Allan John Johnston, III, v. Bobben Fabricators, Inc., and Continental Insurance Co. and bears the number 122-627 on the docket of the Twenty-Fourth Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson. The Commissioner further found that on December 9, 1970, the attorney knowingly presented an imposter posing as Johnston to the District Court and to counsel for the defendants, fraudulently securing a court-approved settlement of Johnston's claim in the amount of $1500.00. Brown and the impostor then cashed the insurance draft received in the settlement and divided the proceeds. The Commissioner made no specific finding as to that portion of the specification charging the commingling of a client's funds with his own. The only testimony as to the disposition of the settlement money is that of the respondent attorney, who testified that he received the usual attorney fee, plus an amount to pay the bill for a medical evaluation. We find no further evidence in the record to support the charge of commingling. Hence, that charge is rejected. Remaining, however, is the finding of the Commissioner that respondent attorney knowingly foisted an impostor upon the court and opposing counsel for a court-approved settlement of a workmen's compensation suit, thereby committing a fraud upon the court and his client. The respondent attorney concedes that a person other than his client appeared with him before the court and received the settlement. He denies knowledge of the fraud, asserting that he had seen his client no more than twice and that he, himself, was deceived. He intimates that he has been framed either by his client or a former associate in law practice. The pivotal factual issue, then, is whether the attorney had knowledge of the deception and fraud, as found by the Commissioner. In disbarment proceedings, the burden rests upon the State Bar Association to establish the professional misconduct by clear and convincing evidence. As this Court held in In re Novo, 200 La. 833, 9 So. 2d 201 (1942): In February and March of 1971, several months after the attorney had concluded the settlement, he admittedly transmitted two letters to his client. The first letter, dated February 18, 1971, states in part: The second letter, dated March 4, 1971, has the same theme: These letters, written by the attorney after the court appearance and settlement, are inconsistent with any reasonable hypothesis other than knowing participation in the fraud. The respondent's only explanation of these letters is that he was trying to inveigle Johnston, whom he suspected of sending an impostor for the settlement, to come to his office. This explanation lacks substance, particularly in view of that part of the February letter suggesting that a settlement ". . . can be accomplished by me without your presence. . . ." Considering the entire record, we adopt the Commissioner's finding that the respondent attorney knowingly participated in this fraud upon the court and his client.[1] The respondent has also raised two issues of law. As to the first, the Commissioner received in evidence the entire transcript of the testimony and documentary evidence introduced before the Committee on Professional Responsibility at its original hearing. The attorney objects to the admissibility of this transcript. The objection is without merit. As we held in Louisiana State Bar Association v. Jacques, 260 La. 803, 257 So. 2d 413 (1972): As to the second legal issue, the respondent challenges the constitutionality of this non-jury proceeding, which he characterizes as quasi-criminal. In Louisiana State Bar Association v. Donald B. Ruiz, 261 La. 409, 259 So. 2d 895 (1972), this Court observed: Having concluded that the basic allegation of misconduct is well-founded in fact and law, the remaining determination is the nature of the disciplinary action to be taken. We are mindful that disbarment should be ordered only to protect the courts and the public. We are also aware that payment of the amount received in the settlement has been made to the client, without prejudice, during the pendency of the ethical complaint. Nonetheless, the episode upon which proceeding is based constituted a fraud upon both the court and the client. It demonstrates a callous disregard of the ethical standards of the legal profession. In our opinion, only disbarment will satisfy the disciplinary demands of this proceeding. For the reasons assigned, it is ordered, adjudged and decreed that the name of John Sidney Brown be stricken from the Roll of Attorneys and that his license to practice law in the State of Louisiana is hereby canceled. All costs of this proceeding are assessed against respondent. [1] The Commissioner also found that the respondent attorney has participated in a corrupt scheme to get the complainant, Johnston, to repudiate his testimony before the Committee on Professional Responsibility. We regard this as a collateral issue, since the petition has not been amended to include this as a specification of misconduct. Although the testimony on this issue is strongly incriminating, it does not rise to the standard of being clear and convincing.