Opinion ID: 1735441
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Sanctions Imposed in Similar Case

Text: ¶ 16. Under the facts in this case, the consent order and injunction issued by the bankruptcy court enjoined Drungole from the practice of law effective January 13, 2003. Further, the injunction was to remain in full force and effect to February 12, 2003, and terminate on that date only if Drungole timely paid to the bankruptcy court clerk the sum of $100.00, paid the debtor the sum of $375.00 and submitted proof to the bankruptcy court that these funds had been paid and the required hours of continuing legal education had been completed. In her response, Drungole agreed to and subsequently paid the court, disgorged herself of the fees from the client and completed twelve hours of continuing legal education in bankruptcy law. While the bankruptcy court's order was conditioned upon Drungole performing the aforementioned tasks, the resulting length of her suspension before the bankruptcy court was only for a period of thirty days. ¶ 17. In assessing sanctions for reciprocal attorney discipline cases, we give deference to the sanction imposed by the foreign jurisdiction. After all, this Court takes the findings of the foreign jurisdiction as conclusive evidence of professional misconduct. See R. Discipline Miss. State Bar 13. In accepting the findings of the foreign jurisdiction, our focus on the due process protections afforded the attorney must never waiver. See generally Selling v. Radford, 243 U.S. 46, 51, 37 S.Ct. 377, 61 L.Ed. 585 (1917). An attorney who is the subject of a disciplinary complaint is entitled to fundamental due process protections throughout the course of the proceedings. In re Rokahr, 681 N.W.2d 100, 108 (S.D.2004). Thus, it seems only appropriate that we afford deference to the sanctions imposed by the foreign jurisdiction. If the attorney was afforded full or partial substantive and/or procedural due process in the foreign jurisdiction, then the foreign jurisdiction would have had the best opportunity to consider the testimony of the witnesses, examine the lawyer's mental state, determine the existence of aggravating and/or mitigating factors, and assess the credibility of the witnesses. To this end, we have routinely issued sanctions equal to or less than the sanction imposed by the foreign jurisdiction in reciprocal attorney discipline cases. See Miss. Bar v. Attorney BBB, 890 So.2d 882 (Miss.2004) (held that a private reprimand was an appropriate disciplinary sanction in Mississippi, after an attorney had received an informal admonishment in Tennessee for failing to comply with Tennessee's pro hac vice rule before practicing law in Tennessee); Miss. Bar v. Barry, 890 So.2d 870 (Miss.2004) (a nine-month suspension was warranted as disciplinary action in Mississippi, for conduct for which the attorney received a nine-month suspension in Illinois, i.e., making misrepresentations to courts and to clients that he had obtained expert opinions supporting two medical malpractice claims and one legal malpractice claim he had filed, and filing breach of contract action against clients, in which he falsely alleged that clients had not allowed him to file an appeal after dismissal of medical malpractice action); Miss. Bar v. Daniels, 890 So.2d 872 (Miss.2004) (two-year suspension was appropriate disciplinary sanction in Mississippi, for conduct for which attorney had been suspended in Connecticut for two years, i.e., lack of diligence in adoption, divorce, child custody, contempt, and immigration matters, lack of communication with clients, and failure to provide clients with prompt accountings and refunds of unearned fees); Miss. Bar v. Caldwell, 890 So.2d 855 (Miss.2004) (suspension for 90 days, which was the sanction imposed on attorney in Tennessee, was appropriate reciprocal discipline in Mississippi, for attorney's conduct in failing to submit a sentencing hearing transcript in a criminal appeal); Miss. Bar v. Thompson, 797 So.2d 197 (Miss.2000) (disbarment was warranted for attorney who agreed to resign his license to practice law in another state based on his criminal convictions in federal district court for transportation of stolen money and for structuring transactions in violation of currency reporting requirements); Miss. State Bar v. Young, 509 So.2d 210 (Miss.1987) (a one-year suspension was issued by this Court for an attorney's role in a bribery scheme after the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a one-year suspension for the same offense). ¶ 18. We note that in reciprocal attorney discipline cases, a majority of our sister states have elected to impose sanctions equal to or less than those issued by the foreign jurisdiction with few exceptions. See People v. Distel, 76 P.3d 473, 474 (Colo.O.P.D.J. 2003) (held that disbarment was appropriate sanction in reciprocal discipline action, after attorney was disbarred in Arizona for neglect, knowing conversion of client funds, trust account violations, and making knowing misstatements of material fact to a tribunal); Statewide Grievance Comm. v. Tartaglia, 2003 WL 22904558 (Conn.Super.Ct. Nov.24, 2003) (Most courts extend the reciprocity doctrine to include a practice of imposing a disciplinary sanction that normally will be the same in operative length and severity as that imposed in the first jurisdiction. An inappropriately lenient or severe sanction, however, will not be copied. Connecticut follows that majority view.); In re Drager, 846 A.2d 992, 993-94 (D.C.2004) (held in reciprocal attorney discipline cases, there is a general presumption that discipline in the District of Columbia should mirror the sanction imposed by the first jurisdiction); In re Rickabaugh, 661 N.W.2d 130, 132 (Iowa 2003) (held that attorney should be disbarred after concluding that prior disbarment order in Nebraska was essentially an identical sanction for purposes of Iowa's Rules of Discipline); In re Montgomery, 863 So.2d 499, 500 (La.2003) (held the imposition of reciprocal discipline against respondent based upon the Texas judgment is clearly appropriate under the facts of this case); Attorney Grievance Comm'n v. Fountain, 379 Md. 44, 838 A.2d 1238, 1246 (Md.2003)(We are prone. ...., but not required..... to impose the same sanction as that imposed by the state in which the misconduct occurred.); In re Power, 3 A.D.3d 21, 24, 768 N.Y.S.2d 455 (N.Y.App.Div.2003) (In reciprocal proceedings, this Court normally defers to the sanction determination made by the state where the misconduct occurred.); In re Rokahr, 681 N.W.2d 100, 108 (S.D.2004) (recognizes South Dakota's rule of employing the identical sanction imposed by the foreign jurisdiction unless: (i) the procedure in the other jurisdiction was so lacking in notice or opportunity to be heard as to constitute a due process violation; (ii) there was such an infirmity of proof establishing the misconduct that this Court cannot reasonably rely upon them; or (iii) the misconduct justifies substantially different discipline here); In re Welker, 100 P.3d 1197, 1199-1200 (Utah 2004) (holding that in reciprocal discipline proceeding the Rules of Lawyer Discipline and Disability do not allow Utah to impose a sanction more severe than that imposed in the other state); In re Maloney, 276 Wis.2d 1, 686 N.W.2d 148, 149 (2004) (holding that in attorney discipline proceeding attorney was subject to the identical sanction imposed upon him by the foreign jurisdiction based upon Wisconsin's ethical rules). ¶ 19. Because this Court takes the cold record of the foreign jurisdiction as conclusive, we hold that in reciprocal attorney discipline cases, deference must be afforded to the foreign jurisdiction's findings. Clearly Rule 13 provides that this Court can impose whatever sanction it deems appropriate in reciprocal attorney discipline cases. However, Rule 13 is not an invitation to disregard logic, reason or common sense. Only under extraordinary circumstances should there be significant variance from a sanction imposed by the foreign jurisdiction. The case sub judice does not present any extraordinary circumstances which compel, justify or support variance from the foreign jurisdiction's sanction. ¶ 20. We deem proper and hereby order a thirty-day suspension of Paula E. Drungole from the practice of law in Mississippi; that she shall be reinstated to practice upon expiration of the thirty-day period and pursuant to the provisions of Rule 12 of the Rules of Discipline of the Mississippi. Further, all costs of this disciplinary proceeding are taxed against Drungole. ¶ 21. PAULA E. DRUNGOLE IS SUSPENDED FROM THE PRACTICE OF LAW IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI FOR A PERIOD OF THIRTY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS OPINION; SHE SHALL ONLY BE REINSTATED UPON EXPIRATION OF THIRTY DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THIS OPINION PURSUANT TO RULE 12 OF THE MISSISSIPPI RULES OF DISCIPLINE. WALLER, P.J., EASLEY, CARLSON, AND DICKINSON, JJ., CONCUR. RANDOLPH, J., CONCURS IN PART AND DISSENTS IN PART WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION, JOINED BY SMITH, C.J., AND COBB, P.J. DIAZ, J., NOT PARTICIPATING.