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

De c id e d: No v e m be r 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

S 1 6 Y0 0 3 4 . IN THE MATTER OF JAMES A. MEANEY III.

P ER CURIAM.

T h is d isc ip lin a

ry m a tte r is b e fo re th e Co u rt o n th e Re p o rt a n d

Re c o mme n d a tio n o f th e Re v ie w P a n e l o f th e S ta te B a r, re c o m m e nd in g th a t

re sp o n d e n t Ja m e s A

. Me a ne y III (S ta te Ba r N o

. 5 0 0 4 9 1 ) b e su sp e n d e d fo r th re e

m o n th s a s su b sta n tia lly sim ila r re c ip ro c a l d isc ip lin e

, fo llo win g h is re c e ip t o f a

su sp e n sio n in Te n n e sse e

. M e a n e y a c k n o wle d g e d se rv ic e o f th e n o tic e o f

re c ip ro c a l d isc ip lin e

, file d p u rsu a n t to Ru le 9 .4 (b ) o f th e Ge o rg ia R u le s o f

P ro fe ssio n a l Co n d u c t, a s se t fo rth in Ba r Ru le 4 -1 0 2 (d ), a n d file d a n o b je c tio n

,

to wh ic h th e Ba r re sp on d e d a n d su p p le m e n te d th e re c o rd with d oc u m e n ts fro m

th e Te n n e sse e p ro c e e d in g s.

Me a n e y ’s Te n n e sse e su sp e n sio n w a s t h e r e s u l t o f h is h a vin g c o n tin u e d th e

p ra c tic e o f la w in th a t sta te wh ile te m p o ra rily su sp e n d e d fro m p ra c tic e in th a t

sta te fo r fa ilu re to c o m p ly with th a t sta te ’s c o n t i nu in g le g a l e d u c a tio n

re q u ire m e n ts, fa ilu re to p a y a p ro fe ssio n a l p riv ile g e ta x

, a n d fa ilu re to re sp o n dto th e in v e stig a tio n o f a d isc ip lin ary c o m p l a in t, with a p rio r d isc ip lin a ry

in fra c tio n se rv in g a s a a g g ra v a tin g f a c to r. Th e S u p re m e C o u rt o f T e n n e sse e

o rd e re d th a t M e a n ey b e su sp e n d e d fo r 1 1 m o n th s a n d 2 9 da y s, w ith th re e

m o n th s se rv e d a s a n a c tiv e su sp e n sio n a n d th e re m a in de r pro b a t e d

. In

a d d re ssin g Me a

n e y ’s e xc e p tio n s to th e n o tic e o f re c i p r o c a l d isc ip lin e

, th e

Re v ie w P a n e l c o n c lu d e d th a t a th re e -m o n th su sp e n sio n w a s with in th e ra n g e o f

a u t h o r iz e d d isc ip lin e a nd wo u ld n o t b e u n d u ly se v e re

, d e sp ite Me a n e y ’s

a sse rtio n th a t su c h a su sp e n sio n wo u ld fo rc e h im to c lo se h is p ra c tic e

, a n d th a t

Me a n e y ’s su bse qu e n t c om p lia n c e with Te n n e sse e p ra c tic e re q u ire m e n ts d o e s

n o t re m o v e th e re a so n fo r re c ip ro c a l d isc ip lin e

, a s th e Te nn e sse e d isc ip lin e wa s

im p o se d a s a re su lt o f Me a n e y ’s c o n tin u e d p ra c tic e o f la w wh ile su sp e n d e d fo r

fa ilu re to c o m

p ly with th e re le va n t p ra c tic e re qu ire me n t s

. C o n c lu din g th a t

Me a n e y h a d fa ile d to p ro v e a n y o f th e e le m e n ts, liste d in Ru le 9 .4 (b ) (3 ), th a t

wo u ld ju stify th e im

p o sitio n o f p u n ish m e n t d iffe re n t fro m th a t re c e iv e d in

Te n n e sse e

, th e Re v ie w P a n e l re c o m m e n d s th a t Me an e y re c e iv e a th re e -m o n th

su sp e n sio n

. Ho we v e r, th e im p o sitio n o f id e n tic a l d isc ip lin e is no t p o ssib le h e re

,

a s Me a ne y ’s Te n n e sse e su sp e n sio n in c lu d e s th e u se o f a p ra c tic e m o n ito r d u rin g

th e p ro b a te d po rtio n o f th e s u s p e n sio n

, a sa n c tio n n o t p ro v id e d fo r b y th e

2Ge o rg ia Ru le s. Th u s, th e Re v ie w Pa n e l re c om m e n d s th a t M e a ne y b e su sp e n d e d

fo r th re e m o n th s with h is re in sta te m e n t to p ra c tic e h e re c o n t i n g e n t o n h is

re in sta te m e n t in Te n n e sse e . In th e Ma tte r o f Bo u nd s, 2 9 4 Ga

. 7 2 4 (7 5 5 S E2 d

7 4 5 ) ( 2 0 1 4 ); In th e Ma tte r o f Arth u r, 29 1 Ga

. 6 5 8 (7 3 2 S E2 d 8 6 ) (2 0 1 2 )

.

Me a n e y h a s r e sp on d e d to th e Re v ie w P a n e l’s Re p o rt a n d Re c o m m e n d a tio n

,

a rg u in g th a t th e re c o m m e n d e d p un ish m e n t is u n d u lyse v e re

.

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

, th is Co u rt a gre e s wi t h th e Re v ie w P a n e l’s

r e c o mme n d a tio n 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 nc tio n in

th is re c ip ro c a l d isc ip lin e m a tte r. Ac c o rd in g ly

, w e d ire c t th a t Ja m e s A

. Me a n e y

III b e su sp e nd e d fro m th e p ra c tic e o f la w in th e S ta te o f Ge o rg i a f o r th re e

m o n th s. At th e c o n c lu sio n o f th e su sp e n sio n im p o se d in th is m a tte r, if Me a n e y

wish e s to se e k re in sta te m e n t

, h e m u st offe r p ro o f to th e S ta te Ba r’s Offic e o f

Ge n e ra l Co un se l th a t h e h a s b e e n re in sta te d to th e p ra c tic e o f la w in Te nn e sse e

.

If th e S ta te Ba r a g re e s th a t th is c o n d itio n h a s b e e n m e t, th e S ta te Ba r will su b m it

a n o tic e of c o m

p lia n c e to th is Co u rt, a n d th is Co u rt will issu e a n o rd e r g ra n tin g

o r d e n y in g re in sta te m e n t.

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

Th re e -m o n th su sp e n sio n with c o n d itio n s fo r re i n s t a te m e nt. All th e

Ju stic e s c o n c ur.

3