Opinion ID: 1757506
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Remaining Formal Charges

Text: The attorneys, citing Noojin v. Alabama State Bar, 577 So.2d 420 (Ala.1990), contend that the Bar has inordinately delayed proceedings relating to the May 1996 charges and has thereby violated Rule 14, Ala. R.Disc.P. That rule provides: Disciplinary proceedings shall not be deferred or abated because of substantial similarity to the material allegations of pending criminal or civil litigation involving the respondent, unless authorized by the Disciplinary Board, in its discretion, for good cause shown. In Noojin, this Court examined an attorney's contentions that the Alabama State Bar had erred in delaying disciplinary proceedings against him. It held that the culmination of a federal criminal matter was not good cause for delaying disciplinary proceedings for nearly a year, and it barred the Alabama State Bar from proceeding on the charges pending against the attorney. As in Noojin, we consider in the present case whether the Bar had good cause to defer or delay the disciplinary proceedings against the attorneys. Rule 14, Ala.R.Disc.P. [4] The Bar asserts that it stayed the proceedings on the formal charges based on the attorneys' alleged attempts to obtain discovery for their criminal cases. Aside from this assertion, the Bar has not attempted to provide a reason for its continued delay in regard to the formal charges against the attorneys. [5] Therefore, if we accept the Bar's only explanation of good cause for delay, there remains a period of over a year, from February 14, 1997, to now, during which the Bar has taken no action to proceed on the merits of the formal charges. Under our Noojin analysis, we find that this delay in proceeding on the remaining formal charges is excessive. Therefore, because of the inordinate delay on the part of the Bar in pursuing the remaining formal charges against the attorneys, those charges are dismissed. DISCIPLINE ORDER REVERSED AND CASES BASED ON THAT ORDER REMANDED, WITH INSTRUCTIONS; PENDING CHARGES DISMISSED. ALMON, SHORES, KENNEDY, COOK, and LYONS, JJ., concur. HOOPER, C.J., and SEE, J., concur in the result. HOUSTON, J., concurs in part and dissents in part. MADDOX, J., dissents.