CORRECTED: DECEMBER 15, 2016 TO BE PUBLISHED 

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KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION MOVANT



### V. IN SUPREME COURT

CHRIST~NA ROSE EDMONDSON RESPONDENT
OPINION AND ORDER ChristinaRose Edmondson was admitted to practice law on October 9, 2006. Edmondson's barroster address is 1720 Petersburg Road, Ste. 102, P.O. Box'gH, Hebron, KY 41048, and her KBA number is 91597. Pursuantto Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 3.210 a number ofdisciplinary matters came before the Board ofGovernors (the Board) ofthe KentuckyBar Association (KBA) as default cases. The Board recommended that Edmondson

. \ . be suspended from the practice oflawfor 181 days, "to run concurrent ~th pending discipline;" and that she be ordered to pay.the costs ofthis proceeding in

### the amount of$672.21. Finding sufficient cause to do so, we accept the Board's·recommendation.I. BACKGROUND The charges against Edmondson arose from incidents reported in two separate KBA files. A. KBA 

### File No. 23921.: In March 2014, PaulaJones retained Edmondson to pursue a breach of contractclaim. Edmondson filed suitin May 2014, to which the defendant filed a 

### pro seresponse. Thereafter, Edmondson filed a motion for summary judgment. The court granted that motion.on the issue ofliability but reserved on·the issue ofdamages. When Edmondson filed a motion to. set for trial on the issue ofdamages, the defendant, who had retained counsel, filed a motion to set aside the summaiyjudgment. The courtgranted that motion, and the defendant propounded written discovery, to which neitherJones nor Edmondson responded. The courtWtimatelyissued an order compelling a response, and Jones retained new_ counsel. As ofthe time the KBA filed its Findings ofFact, the case hadnot been resolved. On August 3, 2015, Jones filed a Bar- Complaint against Edmondson alleging that Edmondson had failed to respond to numerous phone calls and _emails. The KBA investigated the allegations and the Inquiry Commission issued a three count Charge, alleging that Edmondson violated: Supreme Court Rμle (SCR) 3.130(1.3) byfailing to "actwith reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client;" SCR 3~ 130(1.4(a)(4) byfailing to "promptly complywith reasonable requests for information;" and SCR 3.130(1.16)(d) for failing to "take steps ... to protect a client's interests" upon 2termination ofrepresentation. The KBA has attempted to serve Edmondson with this Charge numerous times both by certified mail and personally through · the sheriffs office. However, all attempts todo so have been futile, and Edmondson has notresponded to the Charge. B. KBA File No. 23950. In December 2013, Kim Childress re~ned the Deters and Partners, PSC

. law firm to represent her regarding a loan dispute with Bank ofAmerica.

Childress signed two contracts with the Deters firm, both naming Edmondson
as the responsible attorney. One ofthe contracts, which did not reference the type ofmatter at issue, provided that the lawfirm would receive one-third of anyrecovery. The second contract, which stated the workinvolved recovery of damages related to a loan modification, provided for Childress to pay a non-

. . refundable.retainer of$2,000 in installme~ts and to pay one-third ofany amount recovered. Childress paid $1,500 ofthe retainer. Childress had no direct contact with Edmondson after executing the engagement contracts. However, Childress was advised that suit had been filed, when thatwas not the case. Furthermore, Edmondson, without notifying Childress, left the Deters firm and-took Childress's file with her. In May 2015, Childress discharged Edmondson and retained new counsel. Childress's new counsel filed a complaintwith the KBA on behalfof Childress in August 2015. Following an investigation, the Inquiry Commission issued a five count Charge alleging that Edmondson violated: SCR 3.130(1.3) byfailing to "actwith 3

### reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client;" SCR

·3.130(1.4)(a)(4) byfailing to "promptlycol!lplywith reasonable requests for information;" ~CR 3.130(1.g) by making "an agreementfor
... an unreasonable fee; SCR 3.130(L16)(d) for failing to "take steps ... to pro~ect a client's interests" upon termination ofrepresentation; and SCR 3.130(8.4)(c) for ·

. . 

### engaging "in conductinvolving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation."

-· 

### All attempts to .serve Edmondson with this Charge failed, and she has not responded 

### to the Charge. 

### C. Prior Discipline. OnJanuary 15, 2016, Edmondson was suspended from the practice of lawfor non-payment ofher 2015-16 bar dues and for failure to obtain sufficient CLE credits for the 2014-15 educationalyear~ OnAugust 25, 2016, this Court suspended Edmondson, with conditions, for 180 days to run consecutive to herJanuary 15, 2016, suspension. That suspension arose from charges that are similar to the charges·herein and involved conductthat

·occurred during the same general timeframe. 

### SeeKentucky BarAssociation v. Edmondson, 493 S.W.3d 835 (Ky. 2016). 

### D. Proceedings 

### by the Board. Ori July 20, 2016, ·the KBA Board ofGovernors considered the current Charges against Edmondson. The Board voted unanimously to find

. . 

### Edmondson guilty ofall 

### counts in File No. 23950 and ofthe last two counts in



### _File No. 23921. Fourteen ofthe members voted to find her guilty ofthe firs~

countin File No. 23921, while five voted to find her notguilty ofthat count. As 4

### tp recommended discipline, the Boardvoted unanimously to suspend Edmondson from the practice oflaw for 181 days, with fourteen members voting to run that discipline concurrentwith Edmondson's then-pending discipline, and the otherfive voting to run the suspensions consecutively. II. ANALYSIS. 

### Havingreviewed the record, and noting Edmondson's failure to respond, we agree with and adopt the Board's findings that Edmondson is guilty

### ofthe charged offenses. Furthermore, we agree with the Board's recommended· discipline. As noted above, Edmondson is currently ~der suspension for failing to comply with CLE requirements and failing to pay bar dues. She is. also serving a consecutive 180 day suspension pursuantto ourorder ofAugust 25, 2016. Edmondson, 

### 493 S.W.3d at 837. ;Because the charges in this current case arose during.the same general timeframe and are similar to the transgressions in the prior case, Edmondson's conduct herein merits discipline consistent with that previously imposed. Therefore, we adopt the Board's recommendation that Edmondson be suspended for 181 days to run concurrentlywith her current suspensions. Additionally,_ we adopt the Board's recommendation thatEdmondson·be required to pay the costs associated with this action. ACCORDINGLY, IT.IS ORDERED THAT: 

### 1. ChristinaRose Edmondson, KBA Number 91597, is found guilty 

### of violating SCR 3.130(1.3), SCR 3.130(1.4)(a)(4), and 3.130(1.16)(d), as set

5

### out in KBA 

### File No. 23921; and ofviolating SCR 3.130(1.3); SCR 3".130(1.4)(a)(4); SCR 3.130(1.5); SCR_3.130(1.16)(d); and SCR 3.130(8A)(c) as set outin KBA 

### File No. 23950; 2. Edmondson is.suspended from the practice oflaw for 181-days to run concurrentlywith her current suspensions; 3. Pursuant to SCR 3.510(3),.at the expiration ofEdmondson's 181-day suspension, this matter shall be referred to the Characterand Fitness Committee for proceedings under SCR 2.300; 4. If

### she has not already done so, Edmondson is directed to promptlyreturn all file materials in her possession or control to each ofher former clients involved in these charges; 5. If

### she has not already done so, Edmondson shall, pursuant to SCR

. J 

### 3.~90(b), notify, in writing, within ten days from the entry ofthis Opinion and Order, all courts in which she has matters pendingand all clients she is currentlyrepresenting ofher inability to provide further legal services and provide the Office ofBar Counsel with a copy ofall such notice letters, orwith a certification that she has no actjve clients, whichever is applicable. To the extentpossible and to the extent she has_ not already done so, Edmondson mustimmediately cancel and cease any advertising activities in which she is engaged; and 6. Finally, pursuantto SCR 3.450, Edmondson is directed t~_pay the costs ofthis action, $672.2·1, for. which execution may issue from this Court

6uponfinality ofthis Opinion and Order. All sitting. All concur. ENTERED: December 15, 2016.

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# utku 2016-SC-000388-KB. KENTUCKY BARASSOCIATION MOVANT


### V. IN SUPREME COURT
CHRISTINA ROSE EDMONDSON RESPONDENT KBA.NO. 91597
. 

### ORDER On the·court's own Motion, this Courtherebymodifies the Opinion and Order signed by ChiefJustice Minton and entered on December 15, 2016 in the above-·styled case by the substitution ofa riew Opinion and Order as a,ttached hereto in lieu ofthe Opinion and Order as originally entered. Said correction does not affect the holding and is made only to reflect

# a typographical error on page 6, line 22. ENTERED: December 15, 2016.

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