Opinion ID: 1130080
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts in support of count i

Text: Erma Loretta Hathaway (Hathaway) was Eakin's friend and former client. She also was a friend of his wife, keeping in daily contact with her, oftentimes going to her house for coffee and conversation. Hathaway, a pro se defendant, was sued in two small claims which had been placed on respondent's docket. The litigation was precipitated by her failure to pay health care-related expenses incurred while she was hospitalized. Eakin had visited Hathaway during her stay in the hospital and she had been a guest at his home the evening before the small claims came for hearing. He advised the parties of his relationship with Hathaway and offered to recuse himself. When no one objected, he heard the cases, entering separate judgments against Hathaway in a total amount of $963.69. Hathaway became very upset over these rulings and went to Eakin's house later that morning where she threatened his wife and also made threats against Eakin and to harm the judge's home. Upon learning about this incident, Eakin went to Hathaway's residence and gave her a check for $945.00. She tore up the check but later accepted from Eakin another one for the same amount. According to Eakin, he wrote the check in an attempt to rekindle Hathaway's friendship with his wife. Respondent told Hathaway to use the money to pay either the judgments or the legal fees for an appeal from his decisions. Hathaway cashed the second check but apparently did not use the money for the purpose it was given. Hathaway next sought Eakin's help in drafting her motions for new trial in both cases. She came to his office where he hand-wrote the form to be used. It listed two grounds for new trial. [3] Hathaway used the form, adding a third ground to the motions. [4] Eakin then recused himself from considering Hathaway's new trial quest. The motions were overruled by another judge after Hathaway had failed to appear at the hearing. One of the plaintiffs later pressed for a hearing on assets. Respondent agreed to preside at this proceeding. He continued the hearing at least twice, at the request of both Hathaway and the plaintiff. Hathaway contacted respondent several times about the upcoming hearing and in connection with her desire not to reveal any of her assets. She discussed with Eakin her intention (a) to close her personal checking account, (b) to open a checking account in her aunt's name and (c) to claim, at the assets hearing, that she did not have a personal checking account. Hathaway also expressed concern that the plaintiffs' lawyer had seen her writing a check on her personal checking account. Respondent admitted telling Hathaway that the plaintiffs' lawyer could not disprove that the check he allegedly saw her write was drawn on her aunt's rather than her own account. During one of these conversations, Eakin told Hathaway that he had never heard of anyone in the county being prosecuted for perjury committed in a small claims assets hearing. Eakin learned from the local district attorney he was under investigation for (a) subornation of perjury and (b) possession and concealment of stolen property which had allegedly been given to him by Hathaway. He resigned from office two weeks later. According to respondent, he resigned rather than face charges anticipated from three sources  violations of criminal law, of the Code of Judicial Conduct [5] and of the Rules of Professional Conduct. [6]