In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: F e b ru a ry 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

S 14 Y1 5 42 . S 1 4 Y1 5 4 3

. IN THE MATTER OF DOUGLAS GRANT EXLEY.

P ER CURIAM.

Th e se d isc ip lin a ry m a tte rs a re b e fo re th e Co u rt o n N o tic e s o f Disc ip lin e

se e k in g th e d isb a rm e n t o f Do u g la s Gra n t E x le y (S ta te Ba r No

. 2 5 3 5 5 5 ). Ex le y

i s c u rre n tly u n d e r a n in te rim su sp e n sio n

. In th e Ma tte r o f Ex le y

, S 1 4Y0 9 7 2

(Ap ril 1 4, 2 01 4 ). Th e Sta te Ba r a tte m p te d to se rv e Ex le y p e rso n a ll y a t th e

a d d re ss liste d with th e Sta te Ba r, bu t th e sh e riff file d a re tu rn o f se rv ic e n o n e st

in v e ntu s. Th e S ta te Ba r th e n p ro p e rly se rv e d Ex le y b y p u b lic a tio n

, pu rsu a n t to

Ba r Ru le 4 -2 0 3 .1 (b ) (3 ) (ii). Ex le y fa ile d to f i l e a N o tic e of Re

je c tio n

.

Th e re fo re

, h e is in d e fa u lt, h a s wa iv e d h is rig hts to a n e v id e n tia ry h e a rin g

, a n d

is su b je c t to su c h d isc ip lin e a n d fu rth e r p ro c e e d in g s a s ma y b e d e te rm in e d b y

th is Co u rt. S e e Ba

r Ru le 4 -2 0 8 .1 (b ).

Th e fa c ts, a s d e e m e d a d m itte d b y v irtu e o f Ex le y ' s d e fa u lt, sh o w th a t, with

re g a rd to S 1 4 Y1 5 4 2

, E x l e y a c c e p te d $ 5 0 0 fro m a c lie n t to re p re se nt h im in a

d iv o rc e a c tio n

. Ex le y th e n fa ile d to c o m m u n ic a te with o r re tu rn c a lls fro m th ec lie n t, o r to ta k e a n y a c tio n o n h is b e h a lf

. M o r e o v e r

, Ex le y a

b a n d on e d h is

re p re se n ta tio n of th e c lie n t a n d fa ile d to re fu n d a n y p o rtio n o f th e fe e th a t h e h a d

b e e n pa id

. Ex le y wa s se rv e d b y p u b lic a tio n a n d m a il with a No tic e o f

In v e stig a tio n

, b u t he fa ile d to file a tim e ly swo rn

, writte n re sp on se

, a s re q u ire d

b y Ba r Ru le 4 -2 0 4 .3

. P u rsu a n t to th e S ta te Ba r' s m o tio n

, th is C o u rt su sp e n d e d

Ex le y o n Ap ril 1 4

, 2 0 1 4

.

With re g a rd to S 1 4 Y1 5 4 3

, th e fa c ts sh o w th a t Ex le y a c c e p te d $1

, 0 0 0 fro m

a c lie n t to re p re s e n t h e r i n a d iv o rc e a c tio n. Ex le y in itia lly fa ile d to

c o m mu n i c a t e with o r re tu rn c a lls fro m th e c lie n t, o r to ta k e a ny a c tio n o n h e r

b e h a lf. Ho we v e r, th e c lie n t a sk e d a frie n d to c a ll Ex le y a n d p o s e a s a n e w

c lie n t, a nd Ex le y re tu rn e d th e c a ll fro m th e c l ie n t' s frie n d

. Wh e n th e c lie n t

a sk e d Ex l e y wh y h e h a d no t b e e n in c o m m u nic a tio n

, h e sta te d th a t h e wa s

p re p arin g to file h e r d iv orc e a c tio n

. A lth o u g h Ex le y did m a il th e re le v a n t

d o c u m e nts to th e c lie n t' s h u sb a n d

, h e d e la y e d in se n d in g th e d o c u m e n ts to th e

c lie n t, d e sp ite h e r re pe a te d re qu e sts, a n d fa ile d to file th e sig n e d d oc u m e n ts with

th e S up e rio r Co u rt. Ex le y th e n fa ile d a ga in to c o m m u n ic a te with th e c lie n t,

a b a n d o n e d his re p re se nta tio n o f h e r, a n d fa ile d to re fu n d a ny p ortio n o f th e fe e

th a t h e h a d b e e n p a id

. Ex le y a g a in wa s se rv e d b y p ub lic a tio n a n d m a il with a

2No tic e o f In v e stig a tio n

, b u t h e fa ile d to file a tim e ly swo rn

, writte n re sp o n se

, a s

re q u ire d b y Ba

r Ru le 4 -2 0 4 .3

.

Th e In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l fo un d th a t b y th is c o n d u c t Ex le y vio la te d Ru le s

1 .3

, 1.4

, 1 .1 6, a n d 9 .3 o f th e Ge org ia Ru le s o f P ro fe ssio na l Co n d u c t fo u n d in

Ba r Ru le 4 -1 02 (d ). Th e m a x im u m sa n c tio n fo r a v i o l a tio n o f R u le 1 .3 is

d isb a rm e n t, a n d th e m a x im um sa n c tio n fo r a v io la tio n o f Ru le s 1 .4

, 1 .1 6

, a n d

9 .3 is a p u blic re p rim a nd

. In a g g ra v a tio n o f disc ip lin e

, th e In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l

fo u n d th a t Ex le y h a s e x p e rie nc e in th e p ra c tic e of la w, h a v in g be e n a d m itte d in

2 0 0 3, a n d th a t th e se two m a tte rs, ta k e n to g e th e r, s u g g e st a pa tte rn o f c lie n t

n e g le c t a n d o f fa ilin g to c om m

u n ic a te

.

Ha v in g re v ie we d th e re c o rd

, we c o n c lu d e th a t d i s b a rm e n t is th e

a p p ro p ria te sa n c tio n in th is m a tte r. Ac c o rd in g ly , it is h e re b y o rd e re d th a t th e

n a m e of Do u g la s Gra n t E x le y b e re m o v e d fro m th e ro lls o f p e rso ns a u th o riz e d

to p ra c tic e la w in th e Sta te o f Ge org ia

. Ex le y is re m in de d o f h is d u tie s p u rsu a n t

to Ba r Ru le 4 -2 1 9 (c ).

Disb a rre d . All th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

3