Title: KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION V. STEVE P. ROBEY
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 2006-SC-000358-KB
State: Kentucky
Issuer: Kentucky Supreme Court
Date: August 24, 2006

V ,Suyrrmr (~vurf of 2006-SC-0358-KB KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION COMPLAINANT IN SUPREME COURT STEVE P . ROBEY RESPONDENT (KBA MEMBER NO . 59230) OPINION AND ORDER The Kentucky Bar Association ("KBA") brought this action against Respondent, Steve P . Robey on November 15, 2005, for violations of SCR 3.130-1 .4(a) (lack of adequate communication with a client) and SCR 3.130-1 .16(d) (failure to return property to a client upon termination) . Respondent's KBA member number is 59230 and his bar roster address is The Trader Bldg., 508 E . Main St., P.O. Box 302, Providence, KY 42450-0302 . Respondent was admitted to the bar on May 9, 1975 . His disciplinary history includes one temporary suspension from the practice of law on September 22, 2005 . This action arose from a bar complaint filed by Mr . Van Nabb . In January or February of 2004, Nabb retained Valerie Bock, an associate in Respondent's law office, to represent him in filing a civil complaint alleging breach of a construction contract . Bock terminated her association with Respondent in March of 2004, but Nabb elected to retain her as his attorney . In April of 2004, Respondent agreed to "covers" Bock's cases while she took a six-week medical leave . Nabb's file was transferred to Respondent's office, and Respondent agreed to meet with Nabb to discuss the case . However, Respondent did not respond to Nabb's frequent attempts to contact him about the progress of the case . After being unsuccessful in contacting Respondent, Nabb became discouraged and began requesting the return of his file . Again, he received no response. Nabb frequently went to Respondent's office to try and retrieve the file . At one point, Nabb saw Respondent in the parking lot of his office and asked for the file . Respondent replied that he did not have Nabb's "damn file." Nabb contacted the KBA's Client Assistance Program, which drafted a letter to the Respondent and to Bock, his former associate, requesting the return of Nabb's file . The Webster County Attorney, Clint Prow, also made inquiries on Nabb's behalf in an effort to retrieve his file . Finally, on August 2, 2004, Bock retrieved the file from Respondent's office and delivered it to Prow . Nabb's wife picked up the file from Prow the same day. During this period of time, Respondent exchanged many letters with the KBA attempting to explain his actions . His explanations contained many inconsistencies and were unconvincing to the KBA, resulting in the November 15, 2005, two-count charge against him . Respondent has failed to respond to the charge against him, despite being personally served by a sheriff and presumably receiving a warning letter sent to his bar roster address . As a result of Respondent's failure to answer, the Chair of the Inquiry Commission of the KBA submitted the matter to the Board of Governors for default judgment under SCR 3.210(1) . The Board of Governors considered the charge at its meeting on March 17, 2006 . Considering all of the evidence, especially the inconsistencies in Respondent's communications with the KBA, the Board found Respondent guilty on all counts by a vote of seventeen to one, with two members absent and one member abstaining, and recommended that Respondent be publicly reprimanded . We agree with the recommendation of the Board of Governors and adopt it in full pursuant to SCR 3.370(10). Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that : 1 . Respondent, Steve P. Robey, is publicly reprimanded . 2. In accordance with SCR 3.450, Respondent is directed to pay all costs associated with these disciplinary proceedings against him, said sum being $232 .63, and for which execution may issue from this Court upon finality of this Opinion and Order. All concur. ENTERED: August 24, 2006