Opinion ID: 1122989
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Response to the Bar Association.

Text: The cause was instituted as a Rule 6 proceeding. [7] The Bar Association contacted the respondent by mail on March 8, March 28, August 16, and September 20, 1995, in an attempt to get her to respond to the Ellis grievance. The respondent did not reply to any of these requests. After the Bar Association served her using a private process server, she appeared and gave her deposition concerning the grievance on November 14, 1995. At the deposition, the respondent initially refused to give an address where she could be contacted by the Bar Association. The respondent alleged that she was concerned that there was a conspiracy against her involving certain members of the Bar Association and employees in the General Counsel's Office which may have resulted in an inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She also expressed concerns that if she could be located through the Bar Association, she and her daughter might be put in physical danger from a former client serving a prison sentence. The respondent agreed that the post office box the Bar Association had listed as her official roster address would serve as an appropriate address to communicate with her. Although the respondent agreed to provide the Bar Association with records of her trust account and with copies of the documents she had filed on behalf of Ellis, none of the requested materials were received by the Bar Association. Gray filed a grievance with the Bar Association on October 2, 1995. The Bar Association forwarded the grievance to the respondent on November 28, 1995, and it requested that she reply within twenty days. The request was never returned, nor did she reply. A second copy of the grievance was sent to the respondent by certified mail at the address which she had provided. It was returned unclaimed. On January 9, 1996, the Bar Association served the respondent by private process server with a subpoena to appear and to answer the grievance. Although she was properly served, the respondent failed to appear for her deposition on January 24, 1996. On February 26, 1996, the Bar Association mailed the formal complaint to the respondent by certified mail, return receipt requested and restricted delivery. No answer was filed within twenty days, [8] and a private process server was hired to serve the complaint. Service was accomplished on March 21, 1996. After the respondent failed timely to answer, the Bar Association filed a motion to deem the allegations admitted pursuant to Rule 6.4, Rules of Disciplinary Proceedings. The respondent was given notice of the hearing on the motion on April 23, 1996, and she was ordered to appear for the hearing on May 1, 1996, to show cause why the motion should not be granted. She did not appear, and the motion was granted on May 13, 1996. The respondent was ordered to appear at the Bar Center on June 12, 1996, for the disciplinary hearing, but she neither responded to the order nor appeared at the hearing.