Opinion ID: 2114667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: additional formal charge

Text: On August 6, 1996, as attorney for Gary Maddox, Aupperle filed an application to modify a decree of dissolution entered by the district court for Douglas County. April Maddox filed a pro se response on August 27. On October 18, Aupperle filed a certificate of readiness for trial in this proceeding and sent a copy to April Maddox. On the same date, he also filed a notice of serving requests for production of documents, indicating that he had mailed said request to April Maddox. On December 10, attorney Rebecca Schmitt entered her appearance for April Maddox and mailed a copy of the entry of appearance and a request for production of documents to Aupperle. In January 1997, Gary Maddox instructed Aupperle to dismiss his application to modify. On or about January 13, Aupperle prepared and submitted an order of dismissal which was entered by the court on the same date. On January 27, Schmitt filed a motion to vacate the order of dismissal, scheduled a hearing on the motion for February 5, and mailed the notice of the hearing to Aupperle as attorney for Gary Maddox. Prior to the hearing, Aupperle contacted Schmitt and indicated to her that he did not have grounds to oppose her motion and would not attend the hearing. They agreed that Schmitt would file an amended answer and cross-petition on behalf of April Maddox. At the hearing on February 5, the court ruled that Gary Maddox's application to modify would remain dismissed, but gave April Maddox leave to file an amended cross-application seeking modification of the decree, which was filed on February 13. On that day, Schmitt wrote to Aupperle, inquiring about Aupperle's responding to the document production requests she had served on December 9, 1996. On March 11, 1997, Schmitt filed a motion to compel production of documents and scheduled a hearing for March 21. On March 19, Aupperle agreed that the documents would be produced by March 31, and an order was entered to that effect. However, he did not inform Gary Maddox that the motion to compel had been filed and did not inform him thereafter of his agreement that the documents would be produced by March 31. On April 7, Schmitt wrote to Aupperle, requesting production of the documents which had not been produced. Aupperle did not immediately respond to Schmitt's letter. On May 1, 1997, Schmitt filed a second motion to compel production, which also requested attorney fees. At a hearing on May 15, Aupperle appeared with Gary Maddox and the court entered an order requiring that the documents be produced by May 19 and deferred a ruling on the request for attorney fees. Aupperle did not produce the documents by May 19, and Schmitt filed a third motion to compel production on May 21. Aupperle delivered the documents to Schmitt on the following day. Aupperle appeared with Gary Maddox at the trial on April Maddox's cross-application to modify on August 12, 1997. At the conclusion of trial, the court instructed counsel to submit briefs on any additional issues they wished the court to address. Aupperle did not submit a brief. On August 21, 1997, the court wrote a letter to Aupperle and Schmitt instructing them to appear in court on Monday, August 25, to hear its findings and decision in the Maddox case. The letter was received at Aupperle's office on Friday, August 22, while he was out of town, and he did not learn of the letter until the afternoon of August 25. Aupperle did not appear at the hearing at which the court entered its findings and instructed Schmitt to prepare a proposed order, which included an award of attorney fees to April Maddox from Gary Maddox. On August 27, the court entered the order modifying the decree, and a signed copy was mailed to Aupperle. Aupperle had not informed Gary Maddox of the August 25 hearing and did not send a copy of the August 27 order to him.