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

De c id e d: Ja nu ary 1 9 , 2 0 1 6

S 1 6 Y0 1 2 6 . IN THE MATTER OF NICHOLAS P AGANO.

P ER CURIAM.

Th is d isc ip lin a ry m a tte r is b e fo re th e Co urt o n th e pe titio n fo r v o lu n ta ry

d isc ip lin e file d by N ic h o la s P a g a n o (S ta te Ba r No

. 5 5 8 9 3 5) prio r to th e issu a n c e

o f a fo rm a l c o m

pla in t. P a g a n o se e k s a R e v ie w P a n e l re p rim a n d fo r c o n d u c t

in v o lv in g th e a

b a n d o n m e n t o f o n e c lie n t’s m a tte r a n d th e S ta te Ba r re c o m m e n d s

th a t th e Co u rt a c c e pt P a ga n o ’s p e titio n.

With re g a rd to th is m a tte r, P a g a n o, wh o h a s b e e n a m e m b e r o f th e S ta te

Ba r sin c e 1 9 8 6

, a d m its th a t in 2 0 0 8 a c lie n t h ire d h im to re p re s e n t h e r in a

p e rso n a l in

ju ry a c tio n ; th a t h e file d su it o n th e c lie n t’s b e ha lf in Ju ly 2 0 0 8 ; th a t

a lth ou g h h e d id so m e in itia l wo rk o n th e c lie n t’s c a se

, h e e ve n tu a lly sto p p e d

c o m m u nic a tin g with h e r; th a t h e fa ile d to a p p e a r a t two se p a ra te c a le n d a r c a lls

re la tin g to th e c a se ; th a t a t t h e se c o n d c a le n d ar c a ll, th e ju dg e dism isse d th e

c lie n t’ s c a se fo r wa n t o f p ro se c u tio n ; an d th a t h e d id n o t te ll th e c lie n t th e

d ism issa l re su lte d fro m his fa ilu re to a p pe a r. P a g a n o a d m its th a t b y h is a c tio n s,h e vio la te d Ru le s 1 .3 a n d 1.4 o f th 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 0 2 (d ). Th e m a x im u m p e n a lty fo r a v io la tio n o f Ru le 1 .3 is

d isb a rm e n t, wh ile th e m a x im u m p e n a lty fo r a v io la tio n o f Ru le 1 .4 is a p u b lic

re p rim a n d

.

In m itig a tio n

, we n o te th a t P a g a n o is re m o rse fu l; th a t h e d id n o t a c t with

a d ish on e st or se lfish m o tiv e ; th a t h e h a s be e n ha m p e re d b y sig n ific a n t e y e a n d

v i s i o n p ro b le m s in re c e n t y e a rs; a n d th a t h e d isp la y e d a c oo pe ra tiv e a ttitu d e

to wa rd th e d isc ip lin a ry p ro c e e d in g s. In a gg ra v a tio n, we n o te th at P a g a n o

r e c e i v e d a n In v e stig a tiv e P a n e l re p rim a n d in 1 9 9 2 a n d a F o rm a l Le tte r o f

Ad m o n itio n in 2 0 0 2 a n d th a t h e a d m its th a t he h a d “ no e x c u se o r re a so n ” fo r h is

c o n d u c t in th is m a tte r.

Th e S ta te Ba r re sp o n d e d to th e p e titio n

, a sse rtin g th a t a re p rim a n d is th e

a p p ro p ria te sa n c tio n in th is m a tte r, se e In th e Ma tte r o f K in g, 2 8 9 Ga

. 4 5 7 (7 1 2

S E2 d 7 0 ) (2 0 1 1 ) (Re v ie w P a n e l r e p rim an d re so lv in g o n e d isc ip lin a ry c a se

a risin g fro m a

ba n do nm e n t o f a c iv il m a tte r; p rio r In v e s t ig a tiv e P a n e l

re p rim a n d ); In th e Ma tte r o f S h a piro

, 2 88 G a

. 4 5 5

, 70 4 S E 2 d 7 8 4 ( 2 0 1 1 )

(Re v ie w P a n e l re p rim a n d re so lv in g two d isc ip lin a ry c a se s; p rio r In v e stig a tiv e

P a n e l re p rim a n d a n d two F o rm a l Le tte rs o f Ad m o n itio n ), a nd re c o m m e n d i n g

2th a t th e Co u rt a c c e pt th e p e titio n

.

Ha v in g re v ie we d th e re c o rd we a g re e th a t a Re v ie w P a n e l re p rim a n d is a n

a p p ro p ria te sa n c tio n in th is m a tte r

. Ac c o rd in g ly

, th e Co u rt h e re b y o rd e rs th a t

P a g an o re c e iv e a R e v ie w P a n e l re p rim a nd in a c c o rd an c e with Ba r Ru le s 4 -1 0 2

(b ) (4 ) a n d 4 -2 2 0 fo r h is a d m itte d v io la tio n s o f Ru le s 1 .3 a n d 1 .4

.

P e titio n fo r v o lu n ta ry d isc ip lin e a c c e p te d . Re v ie w P a n e l re prim a n d

.

All th e Ju stic e s c o n c ur.

3