Opinion ID: 6351477
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Charge I: [A]

Text: On February 6, 1980, [A] was found guilty of third-degree murder after trial by jury in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County. Commonwealth v. [A], Criminal No. [ ]. Respondent did not represent [A] at trial. In or about late February or early March, 1980, [B] [A’s] sister, requested respondent to undertake post-trial representation of [A]. Respondent agreed to do so and requested and received from [B] a retainer in the amount of $2,000. Notwithstanding this assumption of representation, respondent never filed any post-trial motions on behalf of [A]; never reviewed the transcript of [A’s] trial; and never even ordered the notes of testimony from the court reporter. Respondent did, however, meet with [A] one time at Holmesburg Prison. Accounts of the duration of this single meeting vary from “less than two minutes” to “approximately a half-hour.” In June, 1980, [B] discharged respondent from representation of [A]. Subsequently, [B] made demands upon respondent for the return of the unused portion of the $2,000 retainer paid for representation of [A]. As of the October 7, 1981 hearing, respondent had not returned the unearned portion of the fee.