Opinion ID: 1959492
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Prospectivity

Text: R.P.C. 8.4(b) states that an attorney cannot commit an act that reflects adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer. If an attorney does so, he or she must be punished. Respondent cannot argue that that proscription is in any sense new. Punishment is appropriate. Yet, one of the difficulties in this matter is that the facts are somewhat unique. Respondent pled guilty to a violation of the Hatch Act. Both the DRB and OAE agreed, at argument before the DRB, that this case is a matter of first impression, at least insofar as the Hatch Act is concerned. The case law does not provide guidance on the discipline for the type of influence present in this case. It is unfair if we ratchet up the heat on the ethics thermometer for the first time here. A primary reason behind punishing ethics infractions is to deter other attorneys from engaging in similar conduct. We satisfy the interests of deterrence if we announce that hereafter a suspension without conditions will be the general rule for attorneys who engage in such activity. Prospective application is appropriate and fair in the totality of the circumstances of this case. The Bar will be on notice that such activity, however characterized, will be punished in the future. Although a bright-line demarcation has not been present to date, suspension should be the general rule hereafter. At the time of sentencing, Judge Rodriguez captured the context when he observed that respondent's conduct occurred in a world where unfortunately, in the scheme of things, much of the activity that has taken place in this situation, is either condoned or determined to be the proper course of conduct in the way of doing business. Although Judge Rodriguez did not sanction such activity, and in fact condemned it as serious, as do we, he assists our review because he identified the political milieu in which respondent's misconduct occurred. Just as he balanced the wrong against the reality in meting out the sentence, we achieve justice if we issue a probationary sanction together with a reprimand, plus additional community service, and a warning to all that suspension without conditions will be the byword for those who continue to conduct business as usual.