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

De c id e d: Ap ril 2 6 , 2 0 1 6

S 1 6 Y 0 7 7 7

. IN THE MATTER OF MARY ELLEN F RANKLIN.

P ER CURIAM

Re sp o n de n t Ma ry E l l e n F ra nk lin (S ta te Ba r No

. 27 3 7 2 0 ) file d th is p e titio n

fo r v o lu nta ry disc ip lin e b e fo re th e issu an c e o f a fo rm a l c om p la in t, se e Ba r Ru le

4 -2 2 7 (b ), in wh ic h sh e a d m its a sin g le v io la tio n of Ru le 5

. 3 (d ) o f th e Ge o rg ia

Ru le s o f P ro fe ssio n a l C o n d u c t. S e e B a r Ru le 4 -1 0 2 (d ). 1 Alth ou gh F ra n k lin

re q u e sts a Re v ie w P a n e l re prim an d

, sh e a g re e s to a c c e pt a su sp e n sio n o f u p to

six m o n th s. Th e S ta te Ba r h a s re sp o n d e d

, in d ic a tin g th a t i t d o e s n ot o p p ose

F ra n k lin ’s p e titio n

, b ut be lie v e s th a t a six -m o n th su sp e n sio n is th e a p p ro p ria te

d isc ip lin e . Giv e n th e m itig a tin g c irc um sta n c e s p re se n t in th is c a se , we b e lie v e

th a t a th re e -m o n th su sp e n sio n is su ffic ie n t d isc ip lin e

.

1 Rule 5.3 (d) say s:

a lawy er shall not allow any person who h as been suspended or disbarred and w ho

maintai n s a p r e sence in an office where the practice of law is conducted by the

lawy er, to:

(1) represent himself or herself as a lawy e r or person with similar status;

(2) have any contact with the c l i e n t s of the lawy er either in person, by

telephone or in writing ; or

(3) h ave a

ny contact with persons w h o h a v e leg al dealing s with the office

either in person, by

telephone or in writing

.In h e r p e titio n , F ra nk lin , wh o h a s b e e n a m e m b e r o f th e Ba

r sin c e 1 9 8 7

,

a sse rts th a t sh e wo rk e d m o st o f h e r c a re e r a s a n in -h o u se b a n k l a w y e r, b u t

re sig n e d in 2 0 0 5 to c a re fo r h e r c h ild re n

, o n e o f wh o m h a s se rio us h e a lth issu e s.

Afte rwa rd

, sh e o c c a sio n a l l y d i d so m e p art-tim e le g a l wo rk fro m h o m e

,

o p e ra tin g h e r la w pra c tic e u nd e r th e n a m e “ Th e L aw O ffic e s o f Ma ry Elle n

F ra n k lin ” a n d p r i ma r i l y n e g o tia tin g lo a n m od ific a tio n s. In Ja n u a ry 2 0 0 9

, th is

Co u rt ord e re d th a t Fra nk lin ’s n o w-d e c e a se d hu sb a n d

, B r a d le y J. Ta y lo r, wh o

wa s a lso a n a tto r n e y

, r e c e iv e a Re v ie w P a n e l Re p rim a n d an d a six -m o n th

su sp e n sio n fo r v a rio u s v io la tio ns o f th e R u le s o f Pro fe ssio n a l C o n d u c t a risin g

fro m h is 2 0 0 5 m isa p p ro p ria tio n of a c l i en t ’ s f u n d s to h is o w n u se

, se e In th e

Ma tte r o f Ta y lo r, 2 8 4 Ga

. 8 6 7 (6 7 2 S E2 d 6 5 3 ) (2 0 09 ). F ra n k lin a sse rts th a t

Ta y lo r to ld he r th a t h e h a d b e e n re in sta te d to p ra c tic e la w in Ju ly 2 0 0 9

, b u t sh e

a d m its th a t sh e n e v e r c h e c k e d th e sta tu s of h is lic e n se fo r he rse lf. In th e fa ll o f

2 0 0 9, Ta y lo r a n d F ra nk lin d e c id e d to sh a re o ffic e sp a c e a n d Ta y lo r re g iste re d

th e F ra n klin Ta

y lo r La w Gro u p with th e Ge o rg iaS e c re ta ry o f S ta te

.

In Ma rc h 2 0 1 1

, F ra n k lin a p p a re n tly sig n e d a

c o m p la in t wh ic h wa s file d

o n b e h a lf o f a c li e n t, w h o h a d b e e n a lo n g -tim e c lie n t a nd frie n d o f Ta y lo r.

Alth ou g h F ra n k lin re c a lls th e c lie n t, sh e d o e s n o t re c a ll sig n in g th e c om p la in t

2o r a gre e in g to re p re se n t th e c lie n t, wh o h a d a p p a re n tly h ire d Ta y lo r to re p re se n t

h is in te re sts w ith re g a rd to c e rta in c o n stru c tio n a n d re m o d e lin g w o rk

. Alth o u g h

F ra n k lin ’ s s i g na tu re wa s on th e o rig in a l c o m p la in t, sh e c o n te n d s th a t h e r

sig na tu re wa s fo rg e d o n o t h e r d o c u m e n ts a sso c ia te d with th e la wsu it.

Ultim a te ly

, Ta y lo r se ttle d th e c l i e n t’s c la im s fo r $ 80 ,0 0 0

, with th e c lie n t’s

k n o w le d g e a n d c o n se n t, b u t Ta y lo r a p pa re ntly m isa

p pro p ria te d th e se ttle m e n t

fu n ds to h is o wn u se

, a rra n gin g to h a v e th e m w ire d in to his se p a ra te

, no n -la w

firm

, re a l e sta te c o m

p a n y e sc ro w a c c o un t. F ra n k lin sta te s th a t sh e wa s u n a wa re

o f Ta y lo r’s de c e it u n til No v e m b e r 2 0 12

, a t wh ic h po in t a n a tto rn e y re pre se n tin g

th e c lie n t su m m o n e d he r a n d Ta y lo r to a m e e tin g wh e re h e a lle ge d ly th re a te n e d

th e m w ith c rim in a l p ro se c utio n

. S h e h a s sin c e le a rn e d th a t Ta y lo r re m a in e d

su sp e n d e d a f

te r Ju ly 2 00 9, a n d th a t h e ha d re pa id to th e c lie n t a p p ro x im a te ly

$ 2 5

, 0 0 0 o f th e m on e y he m isap p ro p ria te d

. Ta y lo r p a sse d awa y in Ja n u a ry 2 0 1 4

,

a n d F ra n k lin a sse rts th a t sh e h a s b e e n se e in g d o c to rs a n d th e ra p ists wh o h a v e

d ia g no se d h e r with c lin ic a l d e p re ssio n

.

F ra n k lin a dm its th a t sh e v io la te d R u le 5 .3 (d ) a n d th a t h e r vio la tio n g a v e

Ta y lo r th e o p p o rtu n ity to li e t o an d m isa p p ro p ria te fu n d s fro m th e c lie n t.

Alth ou g h th e m a xim

u m p e n a lty fo r a Ru le 5 .3 (d ) v io l a tio n is d isb a rm e n t,

3F ra n k lin re q u e sts a le sse r sa n c tio n

, a g re e in g to a c c e p t a n y t h i n g b e twe e n a

Re v ie w Pa n e l re p rim a

n d a nd a six -m o n th su sp e n sio n

. S h e n ot e s in m itig a tio n

th a t sh e h a s fu lly c o o p e ra te d with th e d isc ip lin a ry a u th o ritie s, t h a t sh e h a d n o

p rio r d isc i p l i n a ry h isto ry

, th a t sh e h a s su ffe re d fro m v a rio u s m e n ta l a n d

e m o tio n a l c on d itio n s fo r a n e x te n d e d p e rio d o f tim e p rio r to a nd d u rin g th e tim e

g iv in g rise to th is m a tte r, th a t sh e h a s b e e n d ia g n o se d with c lin ic a l d e p re ssio n

a n d is c urre n tly u n d e rg o in g re g u la r c o u n se lin g a nd tre a tm e n t, a n d th a t sh e is

sin c e re ly e m

b a rra sse d a n d re m o rse fu l fo r h a v in g v io la te d th e d isc ip lin a ry ru le s.

T h e S ta te Ba r h a s re sp o n d e d

, sta tin g th a t it d o e s n o t disp u te Fra n k lin ’ s

d e sc r i p t i o n o f h e r m isc on d u c t, a n d c la rify in g th a t Ta y lo r h a d b e e n

a d m in istra tiv e ly su sp e n d e d in 2 0 0 7 fo r f a i l u re to m e e t h is le g a l e d u c a tio n

o b lig a tio n s a n d h a d n e v e r th e re a fte r b e c o me a m e m b e r in go o d sta n din g

. Th e

Ba r a sse rt s t h a t a six -m o n th su sp e n sio n is th e a p p ro p ria te sa n c tio n g iv e n th a t

F ra n k lin ’s v io la tio n c o n c e rn s th e p u b lic tru st, a s he r c o n d u c t e x po se d th e c lie n t

to Ta y lo r’s im pro p e r c o n d u c t.

W e h a v e re v ie w e d th e re c o rd a n d th e m itig a tin g fa c to rs a n d a g re e th a t

d isc ip lin e le ss th a n d i s b a rm e n t is a p p ro pria te

. We a g re e with th e B a r th a t a

su sp e n sio n is ne c e ssa ry g iv e n th a t th e pu rp o se s o f la wy e r d isc ip lin e a re to

4p ro te c t th e p u b lic fro m a tto rn e y m isc o n d uc t a nd to p ro m o te p u b lic c o n fid e n c e

in th e le g a l p ro fe ssio n a nd g iv e n th a t F ra n k lin ’s c o n d u c t, a lth o u g h a p p a re n tly

u n in te n tio n a l, a llo w e d a c lie nt to su ffe r sig n ific a n t fin a n c ia l in ju ry a t th e h a n d s

o f h er h u sb a n d

. S e e In th e M a tte r of T u c k e r, 2 9 5 Ga

. 3 5 7 (7 59 S E2 d 8 5 4 )

(2 0 1 4 ) (six -m o n th su sp e n sio n fo r k n o win g a n d in te n tio n a l vio la tio n s of Ru le s

5 .3 (d ) a n d 5 .5 (a ) in v o l v i n g 2 6 d iffe re n t c lie nts); In th e Ma tte r o f Ca lo m e n i,

2 9 3 G a

. 6 7 3 (7 4 8 S E2 d 9 2 6 ) (2 0 1 3) (six -m o n th su sp e n sio n fo r v a rio u s

v io la tio n s, in c lu d in g m isa p p ro p ria tin g c lie n t fu n d s, a n d fa ilin g t o ta k e

a p p ro p ria te m e a su re s to p re v e n t h is p a ra le g a l, wh o wa s a d isb arre d la wy e r, fro m

h a v in g c o n ta c t with c lie n ts). Ne v e rth e le ss, i n lig h t o f th e m itig a tin g

c i r c um sta n c e s o f th is c a se

, we c o n c lu d e th a t a th re e -m o n th su sp e n sio n is th e

a p p ro p ria te sa n c tio n fo r F ra n k lin ’s c o n d u c t.

Ac c o rd in g ly

, we a c ce p t F ra n k lin ’s p e titio n fo r v olu n ta ry d isc ip lin e a n d

o rd e r th a t sh e b e su sp e n d e d fro m th e p ra c tic e o f l a w in th is S ta te fo r th re e

m o n th s. Be c a

u se th e re a

re n o c o n d itio n s o n F ra nk lin ’s re in sta te m e n t o th e r th a n

th e pa ssa g e o f tim e

, th e re is n o n e e d fo r h e r to ta k e a n y a c tio n e ith e r th ro u g h th e

S ta te Ba r o r th ro u g h t h i s Co urt to e ffe c tu a te h e r re tu rn to th e p ra c tic e o f la w.

In ste a d

, th e su sp e n sio n b a se d o n th is o p in io n w ill ta k e e ffe c t a s o f th e d a te th is

5o p in io n is issu e d a n d will e x p ire by its o wn te rm s th re e m o n th s la te r. F ra n k lin

is re m in d e d o f h e r d u tie s p ursu a n t to Ba r Ru le 4 -2 1 9 (c ).

P e titio n fo r v o lu nta ry d isc ip lin e a c c e p te d

. Th re e -m o n th su sp e n s i o n

. All

th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

6