Opinion ID: 2615622
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: engaging in dishonest conduct

Text: ¶ 11 For an attorney to engage in conduct involving dishonesty, deceit, fraud or misrepresentation is professional misconduct. Rule 8.4(c), ORPC. The respondent in the case before us admitted in the stipulations that he had entered the unauthorized signature of Captain Jeff Sexton onto the settlement check. In State ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Association v. Wilcox, 1997 OK 87, 942 P.2d 205, the respondent in that case had issued six checks to a clinic for medical bills which were all returned for insufficient funds. Additionally, a settlement check deposited in that respondent's account had a payee's name forged on the endorsement. As mitigation, the Court found that Wilcox had practiced law for thirteen years with no previous discipline for professional misconduct, and had reimbursed the clinic, which was willing to continue to accept the respondent's clients. The Court found that the respondent had violated Rule 8.4, as well as Rule 1.15 of the ORPC, and Rule 1.4 of the RGDP. For these acts the Court suspended the respondent for one year. ¶ 12 In State ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Association v. McMillian, 1989 OK 16, ¶ 1, 770 P.2d 892, 893, this Court construed the language of the Code of Professional Responsibility, which provided: DR 1-102. Misconduct... (A) A lawyer shall not: ... (4) Engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation. A comparison with Rule 8.4(c) reveals that the rule has substantially the same wording. In McMillian, the Court held that the rule was generally geared toward fraudulent conduct, and as such bad or evil intent or its equivalent must be shown by clear and convincing evidence to be a violation of the rule. McMillian, 1989 OK 16, ¶ 23, 770 P.2d at 899. ¶ 13 Although the respondent in the case before us may not have intended to defraud the U.S. Army of its money, he did intentionally endorse Captain Sexton's name on the settlement check, and by his own admission, the respondent knew this to be wrong. This action was a violation of Rule 8.4(c), ORPC. The respondent agreed during his testimony that forgery and unauthorized endorsements are acts contrary to the prescribed standards of conduct. Accordingly, the unauthorized endorsement violates Rule 1.3, RGDP.