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 Y0 3 2 8 . IN THE MATTER OF S TEP HEN BAILEY WALLACE, II.

P ER CURIAM.

T h is d isc ip lin a ry m a tte r is b e fo re th e C o u rt o n a No tic e of D isc i p l i n e

se e k in g th e d isb a rm e n t o f Ste p h e n Ba ile y Wa lla c e

, II (S ta te Ba r No

. 73 4 3 0 9 )

b a se d o n h is v io la tio n s o f Ru le s 1 .3

, 1 .4

, 1 .1 6 (d ), 8 .4 (a ) (4 ), a n d 9 .3 o f t h e

Ge o rg ia Ru le s o f P ro fe ssio n a l Co n d u c t. Se e 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 io la tio n o f Ru le s 1 .3 a n d 8 .4 (a ) (4 ) is d isb a rm e n t, wh ile 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 (d ), a nd 9

. 3 is a p u b l ic

re p rim a n d

. Th e S ta t e B a r a tte m p te d to se rv e th e No tic e o f Disc ip lin e o n

Wa lla c e p e rso n a lly a t th e a d d re ss liste d w ith th e S ta te Ba r, bu t th e sh e riff file d

a re tu rn o f se rv ic e no n e st in v e n tu s. Th e Sta te Ba r th e n p ro pe rly se rv e d Wa lla c e

b y p u b lic a tio n p ursu a n t to B a r Ru le 4 -2 03

. 1 (b ) (3 ) ( i i). As W a lla c e fa ile d to

file a tim e ly No tic e o f Re je c tio n

, h e is in d e fa u lt, h a s wa iv e d h is rig h ts 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

m a 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 sh o w th a t Wa l l a c e wa s h ire d to re p re se n t a c lie n t in a la wsu it

se e k in g d a m a ge s fo r se rio u s a n d p ro tra c te d in

ju rie s th e c lie n t su ffe re d in 2 0 0 3

.

Wa lla c e

, w h o h a s b e e n a m e m b e r of th e S ta te Ba r sin c e 1 9 9 1

, file d su it in

S e p te m b e r 2 0 0 4 a n d e n g a g e d in re g u la r c on ta c t with h is c lie n t th ro u g h Ja n u a ry

2 0 1 3

, a ssu rin g th e c lie n t th a t th e c a se wa s pro g re ssin g sa tisfa c to rily to wa r d s

tria l a nd th a t W a l l a c e wa s wa itin g o n a n o rd e r a llo win g th e c lie n t’s tre a tin g

p h y sic ia n to te stify a t tria l. Wa lla c e to ld th e c lie n t to fo rwa rd h is m e d ic a l b ills

to Wa lla c e a n d n o t to wo rry a b o u t t h e m

. As in stru c te d

, th e c lie n t fo rwa rd e d

a p p ro x im a te ly $1 00 ,0 0 0 in m e d ic a l bills to Wa lla c e o v e r th e y e a rs an d d id n o t

p a y th o se b i l l s

. I n re a lity

, h o we v e r, Wa lla c e h a d no t file d a n y th in g in th e

c lie n t’s c a s e sin c e Ap ril 2 0 0 6

, a n d th e c a se wa s dism isse d in Ju n e 2 0 1 3

.

Wa lla c e fa ile d to re sp on d to th e S ta te Ba r’s No tic e o f In v e stig a tio n re la te d to th e

c lie n t’s g rie v a nc e

, a

n d th e B a r so u g h t a n d o b ta in e d a n in te rim su sp e n sio n

e ffe c tiv e Ju n e 3 0 , 2 0 1 5

.

We h a v e re v ie w e d th e re c o rd

, a n d we a g r e e with th e S ta te B a r th a t

d isb 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, p ar t i c u la rly a s it a p p e a rs

th a t Wa lla c e a c te d with a d ish o n e st a n d se lfish m o tiv e a n d th a t th e v ic tim wa s

v u ln e ra b le

. Ac c o rd in g ly

, th e n a m e o f S te p h e n Ba ile y Wa lla c e

, II is h e re b y

2re m o v e d fro m th e ro lls of p e rso n s e n title d to p ra c tic e la w i n t h e S t a te o f

Ge o rg ia . He is re m in d e d o f h is d utie s u n d e r 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