Opinion ID: 1057635
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 17

Heading: Meaningful Review by the Trial Court

Text: Sneed maintains that he was denied a meaningful review in the trial court because the trial court purportedly failed to properly schedule and review his appeal from the Panel. Specifically, Sneed claims that he was unaware that his case was going to be heard on the merits by the trial court on September 22, 2008. According to Sneed, he thought that the trial court was only going to hear various motions he had filed. When the parties appeared in court on September 22, 2008, disciplinary counsel informed the trial judge that she had filed a motion to set the case for trial and that it was her understanding that the case had in fact been set for September 22, 2008. Accordingly, disciplinary counsel announced that she was ready to proceed with the trial. The trial judge stated that he too understood that the case had been set for trial on that date. Accordingly, the judge decided to proceed. The trial consisted of statements by counsel. No new evidence was introduced. On October 14, 2008, approximately three weeks after the trial but more than two months before the trial court ruled, the Board filed the exhibits that had been introduced at the hearing before the Panel. On October 31, 2008, Sneed filed a motion for rehearing or to strike the administrative record, arguing that he had not been prepared for the case to be heard on September 22, 2008. He also claimed that he was entitled to a new hearing because the exhibits were filed after September 22, 2008. The Board responded that Sneed was not prejudiced by the delay in filing the exhibits because the trial court had not yet ruled on the case. The trial court agreed and denied Sneed's motion, concluding that the Court is satisfied that [Sneed] understood the matter was set for final hearing on September 22, 2008. The trial court also noted that Sneed did not identify any additional proof that he wanted to present, and further failed to identify any prejudice he suffered as a result of the filing of the exhibits after the hearing. In this Court, Sneed likewise does not identify any evidence he would have presented or any prejudice he suffered as a result of the late filing of the exhibits. Like the trial court, we conclude that this issue has no merit. In short, we reject each of Sneed's procedural challenges to the conclusions of the Panel and the trial court. We now turn to the Panel's decision to sanction Sneed by recommending that he be disbarred.