Opinion ID: 2323584
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Lunsford Guardianship

Text: On February 5, 1976, the Superior Court of District of Columbia appointed Bettis as successor guardian of the estate of five minor children of Zelda Lunsford, deceased. At that time, Bettis was a member of the bar of this State and of the District of Columbia, and maintained an office for the practice of law in Silver Spring, Maryland. Thereafter, and until his removal as guardian in January of 1979, Bettis converted to his own use funds received for the benefit of the estate, filed a false statement of account with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, failed to maintain records of disbursements of estate funds, and commingled estate funds with his own. The conversion of estate funds was accomplished by the failure to deposit in the guardianship account funds received for the benefit of the children, and by more than twenty separate withdrawals of funds from the account for the personal use of the respondent. The total defalcation amounted to more than $8,500.00 at one point, although respondent's final indebtedness to the estate was reduced in December of 1978 by his return of $7,050.00 to the account. Judge Thieme found, and we agree, that by this conduct Bettis violated DR 1-102(A)(3), (4), and (6) (engaging in conduct involving dishonesty and moral turpitude, and conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice); DR 7-102(A)(5) (knowingly making a false statement of fact); DR 9-102(A) (commingling of funds); and DR 9-102(B)(3) (failure to maintain complete records of funds of a client coming into an attorney's possession).