Opinion ID: 1451051
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The role of cocaine in the accident

Text: Given the procedural posture of this case, any connection between drug use and the accident is relevant only to the issue of aggravation. Horwitz correctly argues that the Committee and Commission found the cause of the accident to be inattentiveness rather than intoxication. Because this court independently tries both fact and law, Wolfram, 174 Ariz. at 52, 847 P.2d at 97, we have closely examined the record to determine whether the facts support the Commission's conclusion. There is some evidence that Horwitz was not under the influence of cocaine at the time of the accident. Horwitz testified that he last used cocaine at about one a.m., nine hours before the accident. Medical testimony indicated that usage this long before the accident would not have affected his driving at the time of the crash. In addition, Dr. Risley, who saw Horwitz about thirty-five minutes before the accident testified, I will take with me to the grave that Rick was competent, oriented, well he was not under the influence of any  either drug or alcohol or anything like that at the time. R.T. June 10, 1992, at 32. On the other hand, at a pretrial evidentiary hearing, the state's clinical toxicologist opined that Horwitz probably took his last dose of cocaine within two hours, and perhaps within minutes, of the accident. His opinion was based on the levels of cocaine and a cocaine metabolite (benzolecognine) found in Horwitz' blood and urine samples, Horwitz' vital signs charted by the emergency room personnel immediately after the accident, Horwitz' drug-use history, photographs of needle track marks on Horwitz' arms, a statement made by an eyewitness to the accident describing Horwitz' driving as erratic and uncontrolled, Dr. Risley's statement that Horwitz did not appear to have been under the influence of a drug when he visited him the morning of the accident, and research by the expert and others about the behavior of cocaine abusers and the toxicology of cocaine. According to Dr. Baselt, the levels of cocaine metabolite found in Horwitz' system at different times after the accident were consistent with very recent usage of cocaine. Cocaine intoxication would explain much of Horwitz' behavior on the morning of the accident, such as why he was late despite Dr. Risley's wake-up visit (Horwitz may have braced himself with a dose to overcome post-use depression [8] ), why he took a circuitous route to the court (his thoughts may have been racing ahead [9] ), and why he crossed the center line and caused the accident. [10] Based on Dr. Baselt's profile of the typical cocaine abuser, this scenario fits one who depends on cocaine to start the day. Although we find Dr. Baselt's direct testimony persuasive, on cross-examination he admitted that the levels of cocaine in Horwitz' system could also be explained by a higher dosage having been taken as much as four hours before the accident. Given his testimony that cocaine's effects generally last one to two hours, it is possible that Horwitz was not under the direct influence of cocaine when the accident occurred. Dr. Baselt also was unable to state that there was a reasonable scientific certainty the cocaine affected Horwitz' driving. Moreover, he acknowledged that there is no general consensus in the scientific community on exactly what level of cocaine, within the range detected in Horwitz' system, will necessarily impair a person's ability to drive. Despite doubts brought out in cross-examination about cocaine's direct effect in causing the accident, we view the evidence of cocaine use far less benignly than did the Committee and Commission. In bar disciplinary cases we give great deference to the findings of the Committee and Commission, both of which had an opportunity to hear the witnesses and judge their credibility and accuracy. Wolfram, 174 Ariz. at 52, 847 P.2d at 97. Moreover, as a general matter, factual findings of misconduct in bar disciplinary cases must be established by clear and convincing evidence. Rule 54(c); see also Wolfram, 174 Ariz. at 52, 847 P.2d at 97. In the present case we note that the only portion of the criminal case record before us is the transcript of the state's toxicologist testifying at the suppression hearing. We do not know what evidence may have been offered by or available to Horwitz at trial, but we are aware that the trial judge, having heard much more evidence than is in this record, granted Horwitz' motion for a directed verdict on the murder charge. Thus, we accept the conclusions of the Committee and Commission that cocaine did not cause the accident. However, even if the evidence fails to establish by clear and convincing proof that cocaine use proximately or directly caused the accident, we believe drug use is a very weighty aggravating factor. It is apparent that Horwitz' cocaine usage was neither irrelevant nor peripheral. There are many ways to prepare for a court appearance; Horwitz' procedure was unorthodox and, we pray, extraordinary. Horwitz admits that he prepared to argue his client's cause by staying up late the night before in his private shooting gallery mainlining cocaine, which surely affected the sleep he got that night. [11] When he awoke he was exhausted and running late for his court appearance. His client had to find him to ensure his timely arrival in court. Even so, he went back to sleep and awoke too late to get to court on time. His fatigue and lack of preparedness made him late for court, and this, by his own admission, was a direct cause of the accident. Thus, although substance abuse and injection of cocaine may not have been the proximate cause of the accident, it was certainly more than peripheral. In any event, this is a bar disciplinary proceeding, not a tort action requiring proof of proximate cause. See generally W. Page Keeton, et al., PROSSER AND KEETON ON THE LAW OF TORTS § 42 (5th ed. 1984). Although the evidence presented on substance abuse may not have been sufficient to satisfy the causal requirements for second degree murder at the criminal trial, [12] and indeed may not be enough to establish cause in fact in a tort case, that evidence did show that use of illegal substances was part of the causal nexus related to the accident and Horwitz' fitness as a lawyer. Standard 9.22(k) does not specify proximate cause; it specifies crimes involving illegal substances. We conclude that the criminal convictions were based on conduct involving use of an illegal substance so that the aggravating factor of Standard 9.22(k) is applicable in selecting an appropriate sanction. Although illegal conduct  negligently crossing the centerline of a road while trying to use the telephone  might not warrant disbarment, we believe the case is quite different when the illegality involves the use of cocaine as part of the causal nexus of the crime.