Opinion ID: 1292667
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Petitioner's Account.

Text: Petitioner testified that he began using alcohol and was introduced to illegal drugs during his undergraduate education, and that he began experimenting with quaaludes and LSD, and began using marijuana and alcohol on a daily basis. Petitioner's alcohol and drug use became heavier during law school. Despite his addiction, petitioner passed the bar examination in 1982, and began practice as a sole practitioner. Petitioner testified that he was an addict from the first day he started his practice. By 1983 petitioner was unable to function. He began to use Iranian heroin in addition to the alcohol, cocaine, valium, placidyl and other drugs to which he was accustomed. [4] Petitioner's mother, also his legal secretary, stopped working for him, after which petitioner could not handle the paperwork of his practice and could not function in his capacity as an attorney responsible for a practice. During the times that his acts of misconduct occurred, petitioner was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Petitioner admitted that he stole money from his clients and stated that he felt very badly about this conduct. Currently petitioner owes over $15,000 to the federal government for a loan that he failed to repay, and he owes approximately $2,000 in private loans that he also failed to repay. Petitioner admitted he received letters from the State Bar regarding various clients but testified that he thought he had been disbarred and was in such a state of panic that he did not even try to respond to the letters. Following his conviction in 1986, petitioner spent 30 days in jail, during which time he used no alcohol or illegal drugs. After his release, however, he continued to use heroin on an occasional basis. As a result of his subsequent conviction for issuing bad checks, petitioner spent another 117 days in jail. Again he used no alcohol or drugs during his incarceration. After his release, however, petitioner was depressed and started drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. Petitioner was placed on an eight-month diversion program during which time he was subject to random urine testing. He successfully completed the program. On the recommendation of his mother, petitioner contacted Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and attended his first AA meeting in spring 1986. He has not used drugs or alcohol since that time. Petitioner has worked as a law clerk for several attorneys. He has also volunteered his services to various legal clinics, performed services for AA and addressed different groups on the issue of substance abuse. Petitioner has placed approximately $5,000 in trust for restitution of the funds wrongfully obtained, and plans to make full restitution. Interestingly, petitioner testified that if he were deciding the appropriate degree of discipline to be imposed, he would likely vote for disbarment.