Opinion ID: 1136715
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: confidence of local associates despite mishandling of funds

Text: This, as with the previous factor, is legally not a mitigating factor. It may be a personal consideration for one who attempts to start a new life in his old community. It is not relevant, however, in determining the severity of discipline to be imposed upon one who has committed a serious violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility. Even if viewed only from a factual or judgmental standpoint, the extent of claimed local confidence is questionable. It is true several of respondent's former clients expressed confidence in him. It is equally clear, however, that he did not enjoy such a feeling of confidence among all of his victimized clients. Further, the majority has overlooked the fact that for years respondent had been both a customer and a director of the bank in which he placed his attorney's trust account. During the period respondent was invading and overdrawing that account, the bank examiner raised a serious objection which culminated in his resignation as a director of the bank. [1] It is of interest that despite this series of events leading to his resignation in May of 1977, respondent continued his practice of invading the funds of clients supposedly held safely in his attorney's trust account. With these matters in mind, this court's concern should not focus on how well he might be accepted by a few former clients, friends and neighbors. We should be concerned with a much heavier burden that is placed upon our shoulders as members of this court. We must be ready to assure a trusting community that respondent will be a thoroughly trustworthy lawyer in the future. As we stated in In re Cary, supra at 766-67, citing In re Ward, 54 Wn.2d 593, 601, 343 P.2d 872 (1959) and quoting from In re Beakley, 6 Wn.2d 410, 107 P.2d 1097 (1940), the question each justice of this court must now answer is: Can I, in view of what has been clearly shown as to this man's conduct, conscientiously participate in continuing to hold him out to the public as worthy of that confidence which a client is compelled to repose in his attorney? I cannot, in good conscience, answer that question in the affirmative. Few duties placed upon the lawyer are more fundamental, more clearly defined, more easily followed and more necessary to promote public trust and confidence in the legal profession than the absolute inviolability of an attorney's trust account. In re Pennington, supra . Nevertheless, respondent made a conscious choice to violate that trust. How can we now hold him out to the public as worthy of the confidence which a client is compelled to repose in his lawyer?