Opinion ID: 1755258
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: neglect of client representation

Text: The seven clients involved in the complaints are Rosie Hall, Carl Edward Jackson, Edward A. Coward, Clifford Osborne, Donald Scott White, Deloris D. Wilson, and the Reverend Willie Young. A claim was settled for Rosie Hall on December 31, 1981. The sum of $530 was placed in escrow for payment of medical bills, but the bills were not paid. The major expense, a Glenwood Hospital bill for $273, was finally paid on May 19, 1987. In 1982, the client had lost a check payable to the hospital for the same amount. Jones paid Rosie Hall $250 on September 19, 1989, and an additional $250 on April 3, 1990. Respondent Jones contends in brief that the other medical bills have also been paid. Disciplinary counsel for the Louisiana State Bar Association concedes that commingling and conversion of the Hall medical fund was not proven by clear and convincing evidence. It is undisputed that there was inexcusable delay in disbursing the funds. Carl Edward Jackson retained Jones in July of 1986, and paid a total fee of $2,250. Jones filed a racial discrimination suit for Jackson in federal court, but the case was dismissed with prejudice because of the attorney's failure to meet pretrial requirements. There was a great potential for harm because the case might not have been reinstated. However, the suit was reinstated and the fee was eventually refunded on October 5, 1990. On March 27, 1986, Edward A. Coward retained Jones to file an objection in connection with a consent decree submitted to the Justice Department on behalf of the Richland Parish School Board. Coward paid Jones a fee of $2,500. Coward, a school board member, attended a hearing on the decree and told fifty or sixty of his constituents, who were present, that he had filed an objection. However, Coward was advised by Jones that his objection had not been filed. Horrified, Coward could not face his constituents and left the meeting. Restitution of the $2,500 was not made until October 5, 1990. Clifford Osborne paid Jones $1,100 in October of 1986 to represent him in a property dispute with the St. Rest Missionary Baptist Church. Jones was to file suit for Osborne against the church and later to answer a suit by the church. Neither the petition nor answer were ever filed. Restitution of the fee was not made until October 5, 1990. Donald Scott White employed Jones to file an employment discrimination suit and paid a fee of $1,200. The suit was never filed and the fee was not refunded until January 27, 1989, two years after Jones was fired as White's attorney. In April of 1985, Deloris D. Wilson and members of her family hired Jones to defend a lawsuit and paid him $1,550 in attorney's fees and $200 for a deposition. Attorney Jones failed to attend a pretrial conference and was discharged by the clients. He refunded the $200 in June of 1987, but the fee was not refunded until October 5, 1990. On June 21, 1986, Jones was retained to represent the Rev. Willie Young and accepted a fee of $750 to partition some succession property. Jones failed to perform any services, ignored the committee's inquiries and eventually failed to respond to a subpoena. Restitution was not made until January 27, 1989, more than one year after Jones told the bar association he would refund the fee. The evidence is clear and convincing that Jones violated the Rules of Professional Conduct toward seven clients as outlined above.