Opinion ID: 2126368
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Violation of the Terms of Disciplinary Probation

Text: Failure to comply with the conditions of probation ordered by this court is an additional act of professional misconduct. See Grzybek II, 567 N.W.2d at 264-65 (failure to comply with court orders is a serious violation); Minn. R. Prof. Cond. 8.1(b); R. Lawyer Prof. Resp. 25. Although we occasionally determine that additional or modified probation is an appropriate sanction for probation violations, we generally conclude that supervised probation is not appropriate where the attorney consistently fails to communicate with the Director, In re Danielson, 620 N.W.2d 718, 721 (Minn.2001); see also In re Anderson, 734 N.W.2d 238 (Minn.2007). In this case, Rhodes's repeated failure to respond to the Director's inquiries and to participate in the disciplinary process would render the mere extension or modification of his prior probation inappropriate. We therefore conclude that Rhodes's violation of the conditions of his prior probation is an independent act of misconduct warranting professional discipline.
A lawyer's failure to cooperate with an investigation into professional misconduct is serious misconduct that constitutes separate grounds for discipline. De Rycke, 707 N.W.2d at 375; see also Brooks, 696 N.W.2d at 88; Grzybek II, 567 N.W.2d at 264. Noncooperation has been found to warrant indefinite suspension on its own, Brooks, 696 N.W.2d at 88, and to increase the severity of the disciplinary sanction when connected with other professional misconduct, De Rycke, 707 N.W.2d at 375; see In re Mayrand, 723 N.W.2d 261, 269 (Minn.2006) (referring to noncooperation as a serious aggravating factor []). In this case, Rhodes failed to respond to the 11 notices of investigation and repeated requests for information from the district ethics committee investigator and the Director. Rhodes has also failed to appear before this court in these proceedings. We conclude that Rhodes's repeated failure to cooperate with the disciplinary process is a serious aggravating factor in determining the appropriate discipline.
After a disciplinary proceeding, [this court] expect[s] a renewed commitment to comprehensive ethical and professional behavior. In re Weems, 540 N.W.2d 305, 309 (Minn.1995). Accordingly, we consider a lawyer's prior discipline and professional misconduct when determining the appropriate discipline for new misconduct. Brooks, 696 N.W.2d at 88. We generally impose more severe sanctions when the current misconduct is similar to misconduct for which the attorney has already been disciplined. Id. The new professional misconduct for which we are disciplining Rhodes includes the neglect of seven client matters (including repeated failure to submit promised documents), the failure to account for client fees, and the failure to cooperate with the disciplinary investigation. Moreover, most of this new misconduct occurred at the same time as, and in the months immediately following, the previous disciplinary proceedings against Rhodes for similar violations (failing to submit two briefs and noncooperation with the disciplinary investigation). Finally, the new misconduct is also similar to the misconduct for which we admonished Rhodes in 1992 (failing to return unearned fees) and 1996 (failing to timely serve an answer to a complaint). We conclude that Rhodes's disciplinary history is a serious aggravating factor in determining the appropriate discipline in this case.