Opinion ID: 2636101
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Reimbursement for Costs

Text: The Committee found, and the supreme court's records verify, that Gould paid the costs imposed by the supreme court's suspension order and subsequent cost order. Based on the foregoing, the Committee concluded that Gould  substantially complied with RSCH [Rule] 2.17(a), COL 73 (emphasis added); however, we fail to see how the Committee could so conclude and, at the same time, state,  except for a period of time where he acted as an agent of Alan Bradbury, Gwendolyn Johnson, and Edward Schmitt and wrote several letters on their behalf. COL 73 (emphasis added). Moreover, although Gould has seemingly stopped the representations set out above when concerns about them were raised, any conclusion that he has stopped practicing while suspended is undercut by his own testimony that he is still helping people, but that he is not leaving a paper trail. Specifically, Gould testified: Q. [(By Butson)]: Can you understand from these kind of comments, why people might get the impression that you continued to practice law in a sub rosa-type setting? A. [(By Gould)]: Yes, sir. That's why I stopped. I  I wasn't trying to practice law. Again, the Labor Board, those Labor Board cases was the only case outside of my friend, Alan Bradbury, where I wrote a letter as an agent. There isn't any paper I generated other than that, because I saw how that was received or perceived, and I said why help anybody. But I still help people, but not with any paper-generating or in any legal manner. Q. So you don't leave a paper trail? A. Well, yeah, but I don't leave a paper trail because I don't  I don't  I don't really benefit from any of this except helping somebody else. I mean it's just  I made some mistakes, and I agree, and I paid for my big mistakes. Based on a review of the FOFs and COLs, the record, and transcripts in this case, we conclude that Gould has not met his burden of showing, by clear and convincing evidence, that his petition for reinstatement should be granted.