Opinion ID: 2500868
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Failure to Prosecute Matters

Text: Respondent represented Christina Samuel in a medical malpractice action in Darlington County, captioned 2000-CP-16-0076, for injuries allegedly caused to her daughter during childbirth in 1997. By order dated March 22, 2001, the circuit court granted the defendants' motion for summary judgment and dismissed the case with prejudice for Respondent's failure to answer discovery and failure to prosecute. In so ruling, the court found that Respondent had failed to provide any discovery as to potential experts and failed to provide any expert affidavits to support an alleged deviation from the standard of care. With respect to Respondent's failure to prosecute, the judge noted that Respondent had sought multiple continuances as to the defendants' motion to dismiss. Based on Respondent's failure to appear at a scheduled hearing, the circuit court issued an order dated June 30, 2000, which stated Dickey is on notice that a subsequent failure to appear without prior approval by the court may result in any sanctions the presiding judge may deem appropriate; the sending of a fax without the court's subsequent approval is insufficient to excuse any failure to appear. The defendants' motion to dismiss was ultimately heard via conference call. Subsequently, a hearing was set for the defendants' motions for summary judgment on the morning of Monday, March 12, 2001. On March 12, 2001, the court received a faxed letter from Respondent in which he requested a continuance. Respondent did not fax the letter to defense counsel, but instead left a telephone message sometime over the weekend informing counsel of the continuance request. Without receiving prior approval from the court, Respondent failed to appear at the scheduled hearing. Respondent appealed the circuit court's order dismissing Samuel's case to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals summarily affirmed the circuit court's order. Samuel v. Brown et al., Op. No. 2003-UP-751 (S.C. Ct.App. filed Dec. 18, 2003). This Court denied Respondent's petition for a writ of certiorari to review the decision of the Court of Appeals. When questioned by the Hearing Panel regarding his representation of Samuel, Respondent claimed that he continued to represent her but was unsure whether he had advised her that certiorari was denied by this Court. Respondent admitted that it had been years since he had spoken with Samuel and that he had never informed her of his Interim Suspension. In his defense, Respondent attempted to establish that he was unable to get in contact with Samuel because her telephone was always turned off and her address had changed from that listed on the fee agreement. Samuel testified the last time she spoke with Respondent was approximately four or five years ago when he informed her that the case was being appealed to the Supreme Court. Samuel stated that Respondent never explained to her why the case had been dismissed. She further testified that she first learned the status of her case two weeks before the panel hearing when Bogan met with her regarding her testimony.
On September 29, 2000, Respondent filed a lawsuit in Richland County on behalf of a client, Ida Mae Suber, who was injured in an automobile accident. By order dated July 31, 2001, the circuit court dismissed the case based on Respondent's failure to prosecute. After dismissing the insurance carrier with prejudice, the court further stated that [i]n the event the Plaintiff shall attempt to commence another action against the [remaining defendants], such shall not be commenced before and until attorneys' fees and costs in the amount of Five Hundred and no/100 ($500.00) Dollars have been paid to each of the attorneys for the Defendants, Robert A. McKenzie and Robert W. Buffington. Thereafter, Respondent filed a motion for reconsideration pursuant to Rule 59(e) of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure. A year later, while this motion was pending, Respondent filed an identical suit on behalf of Suber on August 1, 2002 without paying the court-ordered fees. The circuit court dismissed this lawsuit due, in part, to Respondent's failure to comply with the prior order. Respondent acknowledged that he did not pay the court-ordered fees before filing the second lawsuit, but explained he took that course of action in order to compel a ruling on his motion for reconsideration because his repeated requests for a ruling were not effective. At the time of the hearing to dismiss the second lawsuit, the Rule 59(e) motion had not been ruled upon.
Respondent represented his father as the plaintiff in a matter captioned Dickey v. Holloway, 1999-CP-16-0346, which was pending in Darlington County and appeared on the roster for the week of March 5, 2001. Respondent also represented the plaintiff in a matter captioned Arthur v. Sexton Dental Clinic, et al., 1998-CP-21-684, which was pending in Florence County and appeared on the roster for the week of March 5, 2001. On Thursday, March 1, 2001, opposing counsel in the Florence County case called Respondent to inform him the case was on the roster but was not ready for trial. On the morning of Friday, March 2, 2001, Respondent called the office of the Honorable Paul M. Burch, the presiding judge in Florence County, and spoke with the judge's law clerk. Respondent informed the law clerk that the Florence County case was not ready for trial. Written notice of the continuance in the Florence County case was faxed to Respondent at 11:20 a.m. that same day with a message that stated: Please be advised that Judge Burch has GRANTED your request for a continuance beyond March 2001 for the following matters: 98-CP-21-684, Arthur v. Sexton Dental Clinic et al. Kindly advise the other counsel and the Clerk of Court for this continuance. Because Respondent did not recall receiving this fax, he testified he only had a good faith belief that it would be continued. On the same day, Respondent sent a letter to the Honorable Sidney Floyd, the presiding judge in Darlington County, concerning the roster meeting scheduled for March 5, 2001. The letter, which was clocked as filed by the Clerk of Court at 4:29 p.m. on March 2, 2001, stated that Respondent had a conflict because the Florence County and Darlington County cases were both scheduled for trial or motions during the week of March 5, 2001. The letter further stated that the Arthur v. Sexton Dental Clinic et al., was a Trial-3/5/01. On Monday, March 5, 2001, Respondent appeared for the roster meeting in Darlington County even though opposing counsel failed to appear. The testimony is divergent as to what transpired during the roster meeting. Respondent testified that he told Judge Floyd that he was ready to proceed to trial in Dickey v. Holloway. A former Darlington County Clerk of Court employee also testified that Respondent appeared and said he was ready for trial. Additionally, the Darlington County roster sheets for the week of March 5, 2001 contained handwritten notations that appeared to support the testimony of Respondent and the Darlington County Clerk of Court employee. In contrast, the Darlington County Clerk of Court testified that Respondent told Judge Floyd that he could not try the Darlington County case as the Florence County case was scheduled for trial and he was selecting a jury that day. [7] The Clerk further testified that once it was determined that the Florence County case was not scheduled for trial, Judge Floyd ordered Respondent to appear on Wednesday, March 7, 2001, to proceed to trial on Dickey v. Holloway. Because Respondent did not appear on March 7, Judge Floyd dismissed the case for failure to prosecute. In his defense, Respondent explained that he fell ill on the night of March 6 and was unable to return to work until March 15. As corroborative evidence, Respondent offered a doctor's excuse dated March 9, 2001. Respondent also offered into evidence an affidavit, which was filed with the Darlington County Clerk of Court's office on April 6, 2001, wherein he stated that when he became ill he notified the Darlington County Clerk of Court's office on March 7, 2001, and requested continuances on all of his pending cases. The affidavit stated that due to Respondent's illness, he was unable to work until March 27, 2001. The former Darlington County Clerk of Court employee also testified that Respondent appeared ill when he attended the March 5, 2001 roster meeting. She further testified that on March 6, 2001, she was instructed by the Darlington County Clerk of Court to notify opposing counsel in Respondent's cases (scheduled for the week of March 5, 2001) that Respondent would be absent and that they should appear to have their cases dismissed.