Opinion ID: 1201361
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: respondent's attempt to resign

Text: The Bar Association originally alleged that Respondent committed ten counts of professional misconduct. He filed no answer to the complaint as required by Rule 6.4. [1] The Bar prepared a proposed resignation from the Bar for his use. He declined to use the form provided by the Bar, and filed a Resignation in Lieu of Answer on October 22, 1991. The Bar Association objected to the resignation as submitted by the Respondent. The procedure for resigning from the Bar is not complicated, and this Court has accepted numerous resignations pending disciplinary proceedings. A resignation from the Bar Association by a lawyer who is the subject of an investigation into, or a pending proceeding involving, allegations of professional misconduct is Governed by Rule 8.1 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings, [2] and this Court has refused to accept a resignation pending disciplinary proceedings that does not comply with Rule 8.1. See State ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Association v. Perkins, 757 P.2d 825, 828 (Okla. 1988), where we rejected a resignation stating a future effective date as contrary to Rule 8.1. In this case we declined to accept Respondent's resignation because it failed to specify with particularity the nature of the pending grievances, investigations, and other pending proceedings as required by Rule 8.1. [3] The Respondent has alleged that his resignation showed substantial compliance with Rule 8.1, and that literal compliance with the Rule was not necessary. His argument on the resignation was limited to the claim that the reason for requiring a recitation of the pending proceedings, grievances, and investigations served no purpose except for later reinstatement proceedings, and was an insufficient reason to refuse the resignation. [4] Later at the trial panel hearing his counsel argued that the resignation was proper and improperly rejected by the Supreme Court, and also that Mr. Gasaway has resigned from this voluntary association ... . [and] To require anything more would be unconstitutional. [5] One often cited rule is that an individual may resign from an association as he or she sees fit, subject to financial obligations owing the association, where there are no rules or bylaws restricting the right to resign. [6] Where an association has bylaws and rules they constitute a contract between the members, and membership is regulated by the terms of the contract. Oklahoma Association of Insurance Agents v. Hudson, 385 P.2d 453, 455, 456 (Okla. 1963). Thus, rules of an association governing resignation may be enforced against the member. [7] However, the rules of an association may not unconstitutionally preclude a resignation. Guinn v. Church of Christ of Collinsville, 775 P.2d 766, 776 (Okla. 1989). Similarly, rules governing a resignation of a person from a non-religious association may not be enforced in an arbitrary or capricious manner. Haynes v. Annandale Golf Club, 4 Cal.2d 28, 47 P.2d 470, 471 (1935). In the context of a resignation from a Bar Association some courts have held that accepting a lawyer's resignation is within the discretion of the court when the lawyer is subject to discipline at the time of the resignation. [8] This view of a court's discretion is consistent with our Rule 8.2 governing resignations and providing that the Supreme Court may enter an order approving the resignation pending disciplinary proceedings. [9] In the exercise of this discretion some courts have rejected a resignation even when the resignation was equivalent to disbarment. [10] Courts have also rejected a resignation when it did not comply with a rule of the association requiring a list or acknowledgment of the pending charges of misconduct. [11] Our refusal of the Respondent's resignation on this ground is consistent with authority involving associations generally and for Bar membership as well. When a lawyer resigns from the Bar under a cloud of allegations of professional misconduct this Court requires the lawyer to set forth with particularity the allegations against the lawyer and any pending Bar investigations. This requirement results in the creation of a formal record in this Court that includes all pending disciplinary matters and investigations. Rule 5.7 of the Disciplinary Rules [12] states that investigations and grievances are confidential and are not made public unless authorized by the Supreme Court or under Rule 6.1, which sets forth the procedure for filing a formal complaint. Thus, the resignation not only memorializes the public matters in the formal complaint but also brings previously confidential matters before the Court and the public. It should be noted that Rule 8.1 in no way requires an attorney to make any admissions of culpability, but merely to state, with some particularity, the allegations presently pending against him. The Respondent's tendered resignation and the original complaint were filed simultaneously on a docket of this Court and made part of a public record. The resignation stated that the Bar Association was investigating other grievances against the Respondent, but did not indicate the nature of those grievances. Thus, the Respondent requested that a resignation pending discipline be approved when there was no record before the Court on those pending grievances and investigations. The complaint was later amended to add an additional eleven counts of alleged misconduct. The purposes of accepting a resignation during discipline do not include keeping allegations of unprofessional conduct from the Court or secreting the allegations from the public eye. The Respondent's resignation pending discipline was facially improper because it did not comply with the Association rule requiring a list or acknowledgment of the pending disciplinary charges and investigations. [13] This requirement serves important interests for the benefit of the resigning lawyer, the Bar Association, and the public.