Opinion ID: 1759192
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: whether the discipline imposed is excessive?

Text: The Complaint Tribunal imposed a discipline of one (1) year suspension upon Terrell. Terrell asks that she be granted the opportunity to appear before this Court for a hearing in order to present mitigating factors and her side of the story. She also states that the one (1) year suspension is excessive discipline, arguing that her actions did not amount to dishonesty, and moreover, the Bar alleged no prejudice to her clients. This Court in Blackmon, 600 So.2d 166 (Miss. 1992), stated: In determining what discipline, if any is appropriate we look to several factors. These factors include: (1) the nature of the misconduct involved; (2) the need to deter similar misconduct; (3) the preservation of the dignity and reputation of the profession; (4) the protection of the public; and (5) the sanctions imposed in similar cases... . Additionally, the ABA has approved a set of standards for imposing lawyer sanctions which includes the following factors a court should consider when imposing sanctions: (a) the duty violated; (b) the lawyer's mental state; (c) the actual or potential injury caused by the lawyer's misconduct; and (d) the existence of aggravating or mitigating factors. Id. at 173. Furthermore, with regard to mitigating factors affecting discipline imposed, this Court was not disposed to add further to [the lawyer's] burdens when matters such as personal health, a family member's health, and personal distress were presented as extenuating circumstances. Vining, at 1049. Colom, Terrell's counsel at the hearing on the Motion to Set Aside Default Judgment, indicated that she had encountered numerous problems including separation from her husband, having a small child, being a solo-practitioner, commuting to Yazoo City from Jackson, and depression. In spite of the mitigation offered by Mr. Colom in this case, Terrell was found to be guilty of negligence and knowingly misrepresenting material facts. This is enough to warrant a one (1) year suspension. The judgment of the Complaint Tribunal is affirmed in part and reversed in part. Suspension from the practice of law for one (1) year is Affirmed. AFFIRMED IN PART; REVERSED IN PART. STELLA TERRELL IS SUSPENDED FROM THE PRACTICE OF LAW FOR ONE (1) YEAR. HAWKINS, C.J., PRATHER, P.J., and PITTMAN, JAMES L. ROBERTS Jr. and SMITH, JJ., concur. BANKS, J., dissents with separate written opinion joined by DAN M. LEE, P.J., and McRAE, J.