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 8 , 2 0 1 6

S1 5 Y1 7 6 6 , S 15 Y1 7 6 7 . IN THE MATTER OF S TEP HEN B. TAYLOR.

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 S te p h e n B. T a y lo r (S ta te Ba r No

. 7 0 1 2 0 0 ). Th e S ta te

Ba r a tte m p te d to se rv e Ta y lo r p e rso n a lly a t th e a d d re ss liste d with th e S ta te Ba r,

b u t th e sh e riff file d a re tu rn o f se r v i c e n o n e st in v e n tu s. Th e S ta te Ba r th e n

p ro p e rly se rv e d Ta y lo r b y p u b lic a tio n

, p u rsu an t to Ba r Ru le 4 -2 0 3 .1 (b ) (3 ) (ii),

b u t Ta y lo r fa ile d to file a No tic e o f R e

je c tio n

. Th e re fo re

, h e is in d e fa u l t

, ha s

wa iv e d h is rig h ts to a n e vid e n tia ry h e a rin g

, an d is su bje 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. Se 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 virtu e o f T a y lo r’s d e fa ult, sh o w th a t,

with re ga rd to S 1 5Y1 7 66

, Ta y lo r a g re e d to re p re se n t a c lie n t in a c rim in a l

se n te nc in g m a tte r a n d wa s p a id $ 75 0 by th e c lie n t’s fa m ily to d o so

. Afte r a

si n gle in itia l v isit with th e c lie n t, Ta y lo r fa ile d to do an y wo rk o n th e c lie n t’sb e h a lf, a

b a n d o n e d th e m a tte r, a n d fa ile d to c o m m u nic a te with th e c lie n t o r th e

c lie n t’s fa m ily

. S im ila rly

, in S 1 5 Y1 76 7, Ta y lo r a g re e d to re p re se n t a c lie n t in

a c rim in a l m a tte r a n d w a s p a id $ 2

, 6 5 0 b y th e c lie n t’s fa m ily to d o so

. Ta y lo r

fa ile d to d o a n y wo rk o n t h e ma t te r, a b a n d o ne d th e m a tte r, fa ile d to

c o m m u nic a te wi t h t h e c lie n t o r th e c lie n t’s fa m ily

, a n d fa ile d to re tu rn th e fe e

th a t he wa s p a id

. A s to e a c h m a tte r, Ta y lo r wa s se rv e d b y p u b lic a tio n with a

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

, bu 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

Ba se d o n th e s e f

a c t s

, th e In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l fo u n d p ro b a b le c a u se to

b e lie v e th a t, in S 1 5 Y1 7 6 6

, Ta y lo r v io la te d Ru le s 1 .3

, 1 .4

, a n d 9

. 3

, a l l o f th e

Ge o rg ia Ru le s o f P ro fe ss i o n a l C o n d u c t fo u n d in Ba r Ru le 4 -1 0 2 (d ). As to

S 1 5 Y1 7 6 7

, th e In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l fo u n d p ro b a b le c a u se to b e lie v e th a t Ta y lo r

v io la te d Ru le s 1 .3

, 1 .4

, a

n d 9 .3

, a lo n g with Ru le 1 .1 6

. T he m a x im u m sa n c tio n

fo r a vio la tio n o f Ru le 1 .3 is d isb a rm e n t, a n d th e m a x im u m sa nc 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 b lic re prim a n d

. I n a g g r a v a tio n o f

d isc ip lin e a s to e a c h o f th e m a tte rs, th e In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l fo u n d th a t T a y lo r h a d

a c te d w illfu lly in c o l l e c tin g a fe e fro m th e se c lie n ts a n d a b an d o n in g th e le g a l

m a tte rs e n tru ste d to h im

, th a t h e a c te d with a se lfish m otiv e in so d oin g

, a n d th a t

2th e se two ma t t e rs, ta k e n to g e th e r, sh o w a pa tte rn o f c lie n t n e g le c t. Th e Ba r

fu rth e r n o te s th a t th is C o u rt p re vio u s l y h a d im p o se d u p o n Ta y lo r a n in te rim

su sp e n sio n

, se e In th e Ma tte r o f Ta y lo r, S1 3 Y1 7 2 0 (Au g u st 2 0

, 20 1 3 ), a n d th a t

h e re c e iv e d a n In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l re p rim a n d in 2 01 2.

Ha v in g re v ie we d t h e re c ord

, w e c on c lu d e th a t disb 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 gly

, it is h e re b y o rd e re d th a t th e

n a m e of S te p h e n B

. Ta y lo r b e re m o v e d fro m th e ro lls o f p e rso n s a u th o riz e d to

p ra c tic e la w in th e S ta te o f Ge o rg ia

. Ta y lo r is re m in d e 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