Opinion ID: 1758228
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Charge Nine (Nichols Matter)

Text: Mrs. Florence Nichols, formerly Mrs. Florence Forcelli, testified before Maultsby Waller, the Commissioner appointed to take testimony upon the charges against the petitioner, that she first became acquainted with petitioner in February 1961, when she came to Alabama to get a divorce. She was then living in Danbury, Connecticut. On this occasion she was accompanied by Mr. Nichols. She and Nichols went to petitioner's office and she signed some papers. She returned to Connecticut and in April 1961, received from petitioner a copy of the decree divorcing her from Forcelli. Two weeks later she and Nichols were married. In 1965, Mrs. Nichols had separated from Mr. Nichols and was living in Wilmington, Delaware. In the first part of December 1965, she telephoned petitioner, identified herself as having been Mrs. Forcelli and told petitioner she wanted to come to Alabama and get a divorce. Petitioner told her he would send her some papers in blank for Mr. Nichols to sign before a notary, and that his fee would be $650.00. She received the papers from petitioner and Nichols signed them before a notary public and returned them to her. She was supposed to mail the papers to petitioner who instructed her he would tell her when to come to Alabama. However, Mrs. Nichols learned that some friends were driving to Tallassee, Alabama, on 24 December 1965, and she decided to ride down with them. On 26 December 1965, she drove to Montgomery and called petitioner, telling him she had the executed papers, and the fee, and was told to come to petitioner's office. There she talked with petitioner and signed three sheets of paper which were blank except for her name typed on the bottom. She asked petitioner when she would get the papers (divorce decree) and he told her not to be alarmed if she didn't get them until around February as the judge he was going to get to do it was on vacation. Mrs. Nichols paid petitioner $650.00 in cash, for which he gave her a receipt. The next day she returned to Tallassee, and from there returned to her home in Wilmington, Delaware. The petitioner did not discuss with her any requirements as to residence in Alabama for divorce purposes. Not having heard from the petitioner at the end of January 1966, she placed a call to petitioner's office but was told by his secretary he was out. At the end of March, and again on 12 April 1966, she wrote to petitioner addressing the letters to petitioner's office in Montgomery. The envelopes bore her return address. She stated in each letter that she had not heard anything from petitioner, nor received any papers, and if anything was wrong to please notify her. She further told petitioner that if she were not going to get a divorce, she wanted her money back. She also recounted in her letters her efforts to reach petitioner by telephone. These letters were never answered, nor were they returned to her. Mrs. Nichols moved from Wilmington back to Connecticut in April 1966, and prior to her departure she left her forwarding address in Wilmington. Since June 1966, she and Nichols have resumed their marital status. The only witness called by petitioner testified before the Board of Commissioners on 3 March 1966. He testified that on 26 or 27 December 1965, he was in petitioner's office when a woman client came in. Petitioner asked the witness to wait outside his office. As the client left, he overheard her and petitioner discussing a divorce and petitioner told the woman her husband would have to sign some papersthat things were pretty hot in Alabama and he couldn't jeopardize his law practice and the petitioner discussed residency in Alabama. On cross examination, the witness stated he did not remember the name of the woman, and he had first discussed this matter with the petitioner about aweek before his appearance.