Case Title: BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WYOMING STATE BAR, v. ROBERT O. ANDERSON.

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: wyoming

Court: Wyoming Supreme Court

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

Document:
BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY, WYOMING STATE BAR, v. ROBERT O. ANDERSON.2011 WY 88Case Number: D-11-0001Decided: 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.ROBERT O. 
ANDERSON,Respondent.

 
 

 
 

[¶1]      This 
matter came 
before the Court upon a "Report and Recommendation for Suspension," 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).  After a 
careful review of the Board of Professional Responsibility's Report and 
Recommendation for Suspension, the "Stipulated Motion for Suspension and to File 
a Report and Recommendation for Discipline," the "Section 16 Affidavit of Robert 
O. Anderson in Support of Motion for Stipulated Discipline," and the file, this 
Court finds that the Report and Recommendation for Suspension should be 
approved, confirmed and adopted by the Court; and that the Respondent, Robert O. 
Anderson, should be suspended from the practice of law for a period of one 
year.  It is, 
therefore,

 
 
[¶2]      ADJUDGED AND ORDERED that the Board of 
Professional Responsibility's Report and Recommendation for Suspension, 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 for Suspension, 
Respondent Robert O. Anderson shall be, and hereby is, suspended from the 
practice of law for a period of one year from the date of this order; and it is 
further 

 
 
[¶4]      ORDERED that Respondent shall comply 
with Section 22 of the Disciplinary Code for the Wyoming State Bar.  That Section governs duties of disbarred 
and suspended attorneys; and it is further

 
 
[¶5]      ORDERED that Robert O. Anderson shall 
reimburse the Wyoming State Bar the amount of $50.00, representing the costs 
incurred in handling this matter, as well as pay an administrative fee of 
$500.00, by paying 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

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

 
 
[¶7]  ORDERED that the Clerk of this Court 
shall docket this Order Suspending Attorney from the Practice of Law, along with 
the Report and Recommendation for Suspension, as a matter coming regularly 
before this Court as a public record; and it is further

 
 

[¶8]      
ORDERED that the 
Clerk of this Court transmit a copy of this Order Suspending Attorney from the 
Practice of Law to the 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

 
 

*Justice 
Hill took no part in the consideration of this matter.

  
 
 
BEFORE 
THE SUPREME COURT

 
 
STATE 
OF WYOMING

 
 
In the 
matter of                                            
)

ROBERT 
O. ANDERSON,                        
) 

WSB 
# 5-1495,                                             
)                       
WSB No. 2006-12

) 

            
Respondent.                                    
)

 
 
 
 
 
 
REPORT 
AND RECOMMENDATION FOR SUSPENSION

 
 
THIS 
MATTER came before the Board of Professional Responsibility pursuant to the 
Stipulated Motion of Bar Counsel and Respondent for Suspension of 
Respondent.  The Board, having 
reviewed the Stipulated Motion and Respondent's affidavit in support thereof, 
FINDS, CONCLUDES and RECOMMENDS as follows:

1.            
Respondent 
has been licensed to practice law in the State of Wyoming since 1977, and has 
recently retired from the practice of law.  
Other than the instant proceeding, Respondent has not been the subject of 
any professional discipline.

2.            
The 
above-captioned disciplinary proceeding was instituted in 2006 as a result of a 
report to Bar Counsel that Respondent had appeared in court under the influence 
of alcohol.  Respondent acknowledged 
that he had an alcohol problem and entered into a diversion contract with the 
Wyoming State Bar which required Respondent to be monitored by the Wyoming 
Professional Assistance Program ("WPAP") for a period of five years.  

3.            
The 
diversion contract was amended in 2007.  
The amended diversion contract provided, "In the event that Respondent 
breaches the WPAP agreement which is then a breach of this Amended Diversion 
Contract and/or in the event that there is verified information (by urinalysis, 
breathalyzer, or other medically accepted test for alcohol by consumption) that 
Respondent has consumed alcohol at any time, Respondent agrees to an immediate 
suspension for six months."

4.            
During 
2010, Respondent was twice convicted of driving under the influence of 
alcohol.  Also 
during 2010, concerns were expressed to Bar Counsel by persons associated with 
the Fremont County court system that Respondent was not adequately representing 
his clients in court proceedings.  
Similar concerns were received by Bar Counsel from clients of 
Respondent.

5.            
Bar 
Counsel's investigation of these matters led to the filing of a petition for 
interim suspension, which was granted by the Wyoming Supreme Court, pending the 
resolution of a formal charge.

6.            
Following 
the Order of Interim Suspension, a formal charge was filed in which it was 
alleged that Respondent had breached the amended diversion contract, and that 
Respondent's conduct also constituted a breach of Rules 1.1, 
1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 8.4 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys at 
Law.

7.            
Because 
Respondent has retired from the practice of law, he does not desire to contest 
the formal charge.  Respondent has 
stipulated to a one year suspension of his license to practice law in the State 
of Wyoming.

 
RECOMMENDATION

            
1.         
The Board of Professional Responsibility approves the Stipulated Motion 
for Suspension, and recommends that the Wyoming Supreme Court enter an order 
suspending Respondent from the practice of law for a period of one 
year.

            
2.         
The Board further recommends that Respondent be required to reimburse the 
Wyoming State Bar for the costs of handling this matter in the amount of $50.00 
and pay the administrative fee of $500.00 within ten days of approval of the 
report and recommendation by the Wyoming Supreme Court.

 
 
            
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED 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 O. Anderson

            
Attorney at Law

            
412 East Park

            
Riverton, WY 82501

            
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