Opinion ID: 2712855
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: count three: misrepresentations

Text: Both the master and the JTC found that respondent made factual misrepresentations to the JTC. We agree. Specifically, both the master and the JTC found that respondent lied to the JTC about: (a) having contacted Judge Brennan’s court on only four occasions; (b) having never been told by Judge Brennan’s staff that it was improper for her to make calls to them while she was represented by counsel; and (c) 12 Respondent argues that the admission of these emails violates the attorney-client privilege. We disagree. To begin with, as already discussed, when these emails were sent, Ms. Dudley was no longer respondent’s attorney. Furthermore, these emails do not contain “confidential communications between . . . a client and [her] attorney,” Schaibly v Vinton, 338 Mich 191, 196; 61 NW2d 122 (1953), made “for the purpose of obtaining [or giving] legal advice,” Alderman v People, 4 Mich 414, 423 (1857). 13 Respondent’s former attorney, Janice Burns, testified that respondent had also signed Ms. Burns’ name on a motion without her permission, filed the motion without her permission, and never provided her with a copy of the motion. 12 having Ms. Dudley’s permission to affix her signature to the motion filed on May 5, 2011. We agree. Judge Brennan’s secretary, Kirsten Turner, testified that there were between five to fifteen occasions on which respondent called Judge Brennan’s chambers and she (Kirsten Turner) answered the telephone. In addition, Judge Brennan’s clerk, Ryan Matthews, testified that there were between six to eight occasions on which respondent called Judge Brennan’s chamber and he (Ryan Turner) answered the telephone. Both Ms. Turner and Mr. Matthews also testified that when respondent called while she was represented, they told her that she had to call her attorney and have her attorney call the office. On the basis of this evidence, we agree with and adopt the master’s and JTC’s findings that respondent lied to the JTC about having contacted Judge Brennan’s court on only four occasions and having never been told by Judge Brennan’s staff that it was improper for her to call them while she was represented by counsel. And, for the reasons already discussed with regard to count two, we agree with and adopt the master’s and JTC’s finding that respondent lied to the JTC about having Ms. Dudley’s permission to affix her signature to the motion filed on May 5, 2011. The JTC also found that respondent lied to the JTC about: (a) having Ms. Dudley’s permission to file pleadings on her behalf; (b) having supplied a copy of the motion to Ms. Dudley; and (c) having supplied a copy of the notice of the hearing to Ms. Dudley. We agree. As already discussed above with regard to count two, Ms. Dudley testified that she never gave respondent permission to file pleadings on her behalf and respondent never supplied her with a copy of the motion or the notice of the hearing. Respondent’s former attorney, Ms. Burns, testified that respondent had done the same 13 thing to her-- signed her name on a motion without her permission, filed the motion without her permission, and never provided her with a copy of the motion. After respondent signed Ms. Dudley’s name on the legal documents and filed them, respondent sent Ms. Dudley an email stating, “I tried contacting you earlier this week to obtain permission to file a quick pleading on my behalf under your name.” This email demonstrates that respondent was aware that she did not have Ms. Dudley’s permission to file the pleading under her name at the time that she filed it. Ms. Dudley testified that she did not know that respondent had filed pleadings under her name until respondent’s now ex-husband’s attorney, William Brukoff, called her to discuss the pleadings. At this point, Ms. Dudley asked Mr. Brukoff to send her copies of the pleadings, and he did. According to Ms. Dudley, the only copies of the pleadings that she received were the ones sent to her by Mr. Brukoff. On the basis of this evidence, we agree with and adopt the JTC’s findings that respondent lied to the JTC about: (a) having Ms. Dudley’s permission to file pleadings on her behalf; (b) having supplied a copy of the motion to Ms. Dudley; and (c) having supplied a copy of the notice of the hearing to Ms. Dudley. In addition to the factual misrepresentations identified by the JTC, we find that respondent also testified falsely about several other matters of varying significance. In one instance, respondent testified that she “didn’t have control over scheduling” the March 16th hearing, and that she did not find out about this hearing until late on March 15th. However, Mr. Matthews testified that both parties were required to consent to the hearing date, and Ms. Dudley testified that she had told respondent about the March 16th hearing as early as March 11th, but no later than March 14th. Respondent also testified that she had never referred to herself as “Judge Adams” when she called 14 Judge Brennan’s chambers. Yet Mr. Matthews testified that “the majority of time[s]” that respondent called, she had referred to herself in this manner. Finally, respondent testified that she sent the May 5th email to Ms. Dudley about how she had tried to contact Ms. Dudley to obtain her permission to file a pleading under Ms. Dudley’s name because she was “trying to give [Ms. Dudley] another opportunity to file the motion” and respondent “was busy and . . . needed [Ms. Dudley] to do it.” However, given that the motion had already been filed by respondent at the time this email was sent, it is clear that respondent did not send the email for this purpose.