Opinion ID: 2590331
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: The Johnson Matter 08PDJ040

Text: In early 2007, Margarita Johnson hired Respondent to serve as counsel for her mother's estate. Ms. Johnson's husband paid Respondent a $17,500.00 retainer fee for his services. Respondent proceeded to obtain a tax identification number for the estate and later sent a form to Ms. Johnson by which she would accept appointment as the estate's personal representative. Beginning in June 2007, Ms. Johnson sent Respondent e-mails inquiring about the status of the probate case. Respondent told Ms. Johnson that the probate court had rejected his pleadings for technical reasons and blamed the probate court for the delay in the matter. In fact, Respondent had never filed the pleadings necessary to commence a probate proceeding. When Ms. Johnson later contacted the probate court, she learned that her acceptance of appointment as personal representative had never been filed. She then sent another e-mail to Respondent and asked him to file this pleading and any other necessary documents. Ms. Johnson later found out that the probate case itself had never been filed. When she repeatedly attempted to contact Respondent for an explanation of his actions, Respondent failed to reply. The Colorado Supreme Court immediately suspended Respondent from the practice of law in late November 2007. Respondent failed to notify Ms. Johnson of his suspension, return her file, or return the unearned portion of her retainer fee at this time. Ms. Johnson eventually discovered that Respondent had been immediately suspended from the practice of law. When she confronted Respondent about it, he reassured her that he would clear everything up next week. Ms. Johnson retained new counsel who commenced the probate proceeding. Respondent acted dishonestly when he told Ms. Johnson that the probate court had rejected his pleadings when in fact he had never filed them. Respondent also knowingly converted the unearned portion of the $17,500.00 retainer fee paid to him by Ms. Johnson. Both of these acts constitute violations of Colo. RPC 8.4(c). Respondent also violated Colo. RPC 1.3, Colo. RPC 1.4(a) and (b), and Colo. RPC 1.16(d) when he neglected Ms. Johnson's legal matter, failed to adequately communicate with her, and finally failed to return her property upon termination of the representation.