In the vast majority of cases, the answer is provided to the complainant. The respondent can request that the answer not be provided to the complainant. The Commission has five options. If it believes that an investigation is incomplete, it can refer a file back to staff counsel for further investigation. Second, the Commission can dismiss a complaint and close a file.
Admonitions are confidential and are issued in a letter sent only to the respondent and complainant.
They do not constitute discipline. If a respondent objects to an admonition, it must be vacated. The Commission must then decide if the file should be closed or whether formal proceedings should be instituted. As a final option, the Commission has authority to authorize the issuance of formal proceedings against a respondent attorney. Formal complaints are currently authorized in approximately 20-25 matters per month.