Opinion ID: 2637917
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to Pay Registration Fees

Text: Lynch failed to pay attorney registration fees for 1997 and 1998 pursuant to C.R.C.P. 227(A)(1)(a) which requires that every attorney admitted to practice in Colorado annually file a registration statement and pay registration fees. Additionally, Lynch failed to notify the Office of Attorney Registration of his change of address in violation of C.R.C.P. 227(A)(2)(b). C.R.C.P. 227(A)(4)(a) provides that any attorney who fails to timely pay attorney registration fees or file a change of address shall be summarily suspended. By Order dated November 1, 1998, the Supreme Court suspended Lynch for failure to pay the annual registration fees for 1997 and 1998. Lynch is therefore presently under administrative suspension. In count 5, the People allege that Lynch's failure to pay his attorney registration fees for 1997 and 1998, as required by C.R.C.P. 227(A)(1)(a) and his failure to file a change of address form with the Office of Attorney Registration as required by C.R.C.P. 227(A)(2)(b) constituted a failure to comply with The Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure and, therefore, C.R.C.P. 251.5(c) provides grounds for discipline. C.R.C.P. 227(A)(1)(a) provides in part: [E]very attorney admitted to practice in Colorado . . . shall annually file a registration statement and pay a fee . . . . C.R.C.P. 227(A)(2)(b) provides: Notification of Change. Every attorney shall file a supplemental statement of change in the information previously submitted, including home and business addresses within 30 days of such change. C.R.C.P. 251.5 provides, in part: Misconduct by an attorney, individually or in concert with others, including the following acts or omissions, shall constitute grounds for discipline, whether or not the act or omission occurred in the course of an attorney-client relationship: (c) Any act or omission which violates these Rules or which violates an order of discipline or disability. The People assert that noncompliance with the requirements of C.R.C.P. 227(A)(1)(a) and C.R.C.P. 227(A)(2)(b) is misconduct subject to discipline under C.R.C.P. 251.5(c), which defines misconduct as any act or omission which violates these Rules . . . (emphasis added). The term these Rules is not defined in C.R.C.P. 251 et seq. Prior case law, however, has recognized that the term these Rules contained in C.R.C.P. 251.5(c) encompasses all of the Rules of Civil Procedure. [2] People v. Rodriguez, 889 P.2d 681, 683 (Colo.1995)(attorney suspended for ninety days for, among other things, failing to engage in discovery); People v. Dixon, 200 Colo. 520, 616 P.2d 103, 103-104 (1980)(attorney suspended for an indefinite period for, among other things, failure to comply with discovery requests). Therefore, the failure to pay registration fees and file a change of address form  both mandatory obligations set forth in the Rules of Civil Procedure  may constitute grounds for discipline. See People v. Gerdes, 891 P.2d 995, 997 (Colo.1995)(finding a violation of C.R.C.P. 227(A)(2)(b) constitutes misconduct pursuant to prior C.R.C.P. 241.6(6)); [3] People v. Denton, 839 P.2d 6, 7 (Colo.1992)(holding that attorney's failure to notify court of change of address constitutes misconduct); People v. Dash, 811 P.2d 36, 37 (Colo.1991)(approving the parties' conditional admission of misconduct and holding that the attorney's failure to notify the court of his change of address violated C.R.C.P. 227(A)(2)(b) and attorney's failure to file annual registration violated C.R.C.P. 227(A)(1)(a) which constituted misconduct pursuant to prior C.R.C.P. 241.6(6)); People v. Garrett, 802 P.2d 1082, 1083 (Colo.1990)(holding that the attorney's violating C.R.C.P. 227(A)(2)(b) was grounds for discipline pursuant to prior C.R.C.P. 241.6(6)); People v. Smith, 757 P.2d 628, 630 (Colo.1988) (approving the parties' conditional admission of misconduct for, among other violations, a violation of C.R.C.P. 227(A)(2)(b) and prior rule 241.6). Lynch failed to comply with C.R.C.P. 227 for a two-year period while continuing to practice: he thus enjoyed the benefits of the law license while failing to share its burdens. Lynch's failure to file a registration statement, pay the required registration fee and notify the Office of Attorney Registration of his change of address is misconduct for which discipline may be imposed under C.R.C.P. 251.5(c). [4]