Case Title: Disciplinary Counsel v. Sopkovich

Citation: 1996-Ohio-218

Docket Number: 

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 1996-03-05T00:00:00Z

Document:
Office of Disciplinary Counsel v. Sopkovich. 
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[Cite as Disciplinary Counsel v. Sopkovich (1996), __ Ohio St.3d __.] 
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Attorneys at law -- Misconduct -- Two-year suspension with one-
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year stayed on condition no disciplinary complaints are 
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certified to Board of Commissioners on Grievances and 
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Discipline during the two-year period -- Misrepresenting 
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financial statutes of a client to Department of Human Services 
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to qualifiy client for public assistance -- Failure to maintain 
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client’s funds in a fiduciary account. 
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(No. 95-1199 -- Submitted November 14, 1995 -- Decided March 5, 
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1996.) 
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On Certified Report by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances 
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and Discipline of the Supreme Court, No. 93-69. 
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Relator, Office of Disciplinary Counsel, charged respondent, Carol A. 
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Sopkovich of Warren, Ohio, Attorney Registration No. 16795, with 
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violations of DR 1-102(A)(4) and 9-102(A).  A panel of the Board of 
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Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline of the Supreme Court (the 
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“board”) heard the matter on February 13 and March 6, 1995. 
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According to evidence submitted at the hearing and stipulations, in 
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October 1989, the Probate Court of Trumbull County appointed Carol A. 
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Sopkovich, respondent, as guardian for the estate of Camilla Debner.  
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Respondent assumed responsibility for Debner’s financial assets which 
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amounted to $2,830.09. 
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On May 31, 1991, respondent received a check from the Ohio 
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Department of Commerce, issued to respondent on Debner’s behalf, 
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representing funds that had been unclaimed and transferred to the state.  The 
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check was for $11,428.75, consisting of $9,406.38 in principal and 
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$2,022.37 in interest.  Respondent deposited the check into Debner’s 
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guardianship bank account and immediately withdrew the interest amount of 
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$2,022.37.  
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On June 4, 1991, respondent filed a motion to approve attorney fees 
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with the probate court.  This motion included a statement of services 
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rendered from October 12, 1988 through May 7, 1991.  On the same day, 
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without authorization from the probate court, respondent wrote a check 
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payable to herself from the Debner guardianship bank account in the 
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amount of $1,425.  Respondent indicated “partial fees” on the memorandum 
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line of the check. Respondent received these funds and failed to maintain 
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them in a fiduciary account. 
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3 
 
On June 6, 1991, respondent made a cash withdrawal in the amount 
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of $1,000 from the Debner guardianship bank account.  This withdrawal 
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was not authorized by the probate court. Respondent received these funds 
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and failed to maintain them in a fiduciary account. 
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On September 11, 1991, respondent wrote check payable to herself in 
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the amount of $400 from the Debner guardianship bank account.  
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Respondent received these funds and failed to maintain them in a fiduciary 
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account.   
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On September 12, 1991, the Trumbull County Probate Court issued 
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an order approving attorney fees in the amount of $2,575.50.  On September 
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18, 1991, respondent wrote a check payable to herself in the amount of 
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$1,000 from the Debner guardianship bank account.  Respondent received 
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these funds and failed to maintain them in a fiduciary account. 
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On November 29, 1991, respondent wrote a check payable to herself 
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in the amount of $1,500 from the Debner guardianship bank account.  
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Respondent received these funds and failed to maintain them in a fiduciary 
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account. 
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On January 22, 1992, respondent filed a guardian account with the 
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Trumbull County Probate Court.  In this document, respondent reported 
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funds, assets and investments consisting of $500 in personal property, 
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$328.37 and $1,500 in separate fiduciary accounts, and $3,650 that she 
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characterized as “cash assets checking.”  Respondent did not report the 
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receipt of the $2022.37 in interest, nor did she enumerate the disbursements 
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she had received from the Debner guardianship bank account. 
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On June 2, 1995, the panel unanimously concluded that respondent 
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had violated DR 9-102(A) and 1-102(A)(4).  The panel unanimously 
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recommended that respondent be suspended from the practice of law for two 
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years with one year stayed on a probationary basis.  The board adopted the 
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panel’s findings and agreed with the panel’s recommended sanction. 
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Geoffrey Stern, Disciplinary Counsel, and Alvin E. Mathews, 
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Assistant Disciplinary Counsel, for relator. 
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Richards & Meola and Charles L. Richards, for respondent. 
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Per Curiam.  We find that the findings of the board are well supported 
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by the record and that the sanctions imposed are appropriate. 
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Respondent has admitted that she violated DR 9-102(A), which 
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states, “All funds of clients paid to a lawyer or law firm, other than 
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advances for costs and expenses, shall be deposited in one or more 
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identifiable bank accounts maintained in the state in which the law office is 
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situated * * *.”  However, respondent contends that she never commingled 
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Debner’s funds with her own.   
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Respondent repeatedly violated DR 1-102(A)(4).  This provision of 
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the Code of Professional Responsibility states, “A lawyer shall not * * *   
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[e]ngage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or 
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misrepresentation.”  
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The record demonstrates several instances of  deception perpetrated 
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by the respondent.  Respondent withdrew attorney fees from the 
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guardianship account that she was not entitled to receive.  Also, in her filing 
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of January 22, 1992, respondent failed to report to the probate court the 
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$2022.57 in interest that she had received on behalf of Debner. 
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What concerns this court most about respondent’s misconduct is that 
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it appears to have been perpetrated as a part of an effort to misrepresent the 
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financial status of Debner to the Department of Human Services.  
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Respondent apparently withdrew the funds from Debner’s accounts to make 
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it appear that Debner had few assets and was, thus, qualified to receive 
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public assistance.  In a letter of April 13, 1992 to the Trumbull County 
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Department of Human Services, respondent claimed that “[a]lthough 
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[Debner] has $1,800.00 in assets, $500.00 of that amount is encumbered for 
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past due administrative costs.”  Noticeably absent from this summary of 
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Debner’s assets is a discussion of the large sums of cash that respondent 
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admits she was keeping on Debner’s behalf.  This scheme of 
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misrepresentation merits stern sanctions. 
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Accordingly, respondent is hereby suspended from the practice of law 
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in Ohio for two years; however, one year of the suspension is stayed on the 
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condition that during the two years no disciplinary complaints against 
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respondent are certified to the board by a probable cause panel.  Costs are 
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taxed to respondent. 
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Judgment accordingly.  
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MOYER, C.J., WRIGHT, RESNICK and PFEIFER, JJ., concur. 
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DOUGLAS, J., dissents. 
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F.E. SWEENEY, J., dissents and would order a one-year suspension 
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with six months stayed. 
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