Opinion ID: 2103926
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: The Imposition of Costs

Text: Having held that DR 1-201(C)(3) is constitutional, it is clear that the Board's sanction against Walker is justified. Therefore, according to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Walker is responsible for the costs of the proceeding. See S.Ct.R. 9 § 24.3 ([T]he Board shall assess against the respondent attorney the costs of the proceedings ... the expenses of the hearing committee in the hearing of the cause, and the hourly charge of disciplinary counsel in investigating and prosecuting the matter.). Walker maintains, however, that the circumstances of the proceedings against him warrant that he be absolved from having to pay these costs. He argues that he and the Assistant Disciplinary Counsel negotiated a settlement of the case prior to the hearing without discussing the issue of costs. Because he had not explicitly agreed to pay costs, Walker asserts that the agreed judgment does not accurately reflect the parties' agreement. The Board responds that the Assistant Disciplinary Counsel forwarded Walker's attorney a copy of the proposed order which included the cost provisions discussed above on two separate occasions, and that Walker's attorney failed to respond. We need not resolve this dispute of fact, however, because the application of the rule does not depend upon whether the attorney subject to discipline received personal notice of its contents. Rather, the rule states that the Board shall assess against the respondent attorney the costs of the proceedings. S.Ct.R. 9 § 24.3 (emphasis added). This rule, which requires the imposition of costs in all disciplinary cases, is published as part of the Disciplinary Enforcement section of the Supreme Court Rules. All attorneys subject to discipline have the opportunity to read this section carefully. We therefore affirm the Hearing Committee and the Chancery Court on this issue. Prior to this appeal the Board assessed costs against Walker in the amount of $2,096.90. We remand this case back to the Board to determine the final costs for which Walker is responsible, including the proceedings before this Court.