Opinion ID: 1171979
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Denial of Further Continuance.

Text: (2a) Petitioner claims that he was summarily denied a continuance, and that the hearing panel thereafter immediately commenced the hearing in his absence. He claims that he had not made any previous requests for continuance. This is patently false. Petitioner claims that hearing in this matter was set for June 24, 1985; that on June 21, 1985, he advised the State Bar Court and trial counsel that he would be unavailable because he would be making closing argument in a murder case on that date, and that the State Bar Court denied his motion for continuance and commenced the hearing. He claims that at the conclusion of the June 24 hearing, the matter was set for further hearing on July 16, 1985. The hearing panel continued the matter to August 12, 1985, without asking petitioner if he was available. Petitioner was selecting a jury in a capital trial on August 12, and he requested a continuance. The request was denied and a further evidentiary hearing was held in his absence. The matter was then set for hearing regarding discipline on September 9, 1985. On August 30, 1985, petitioner retained counsel to represent him. Counsel requested a continuance on September 3, 1985, and requested permission to introduce evidence for petitioner on the merits. The request to introduce evidence on the merits was denied, though the motion for continuance was granted. Petitioner's picture of the procedural history of the matter is too rosy. Actually, he failed to respond in a timely fashion and failed to appear at almost every opportunity presented to him. On April 25, 1984, the notice to show cause was filed. On August 8, 1984, the State Bar served a request for admissions on petitioner. Petitioner failed to respond. The State Bar served notice that the requests for admissions were deemed admitted. On September 13, 1984, petitioner stipulated that he was seeking counsel, that he would notify the State Bar no later than October 15, 1984, of the name of counsel, that he would file a response to the notice to show cause no later than October 15, 1984, and that he would provide answers to interrogatories no later than October 12, 1984, on condition that the notice of admissions be set aside. Also at the September 13, 1984, hearing, in petitioner's presence, hearing dates of April 8, 9 and 10, 1985, were set. Petitioner failed to notify the State Bar of the name of counsel, failed to file a response to the notice to show cause, and failed to provide answers to interrogatories. On February 7, 1985, the State Bar served an order to file a response to the order to show cause by February 12, 1985. Petitioner filed his response on February 27, 1985. On February 21, 1985, the State Bar confirmed the hearing date of April 8, 1985. On the day of the hearing, petitioner telephoned to request a continuance since he was in jury trial in a murder case. The request was granted and the matter continued to April 29, 1985. On April 29, 1985, petitioner again telephoned to request a continuance on the ground that he was in jury trial in a murder case. The request was granted and the matter was continued to May 29, 1985. On May 29, petitioner appeared and requested a continuance because he needed to prepare for the penalty phase of a capital trial. The request was granted and the hearing was continued to June 24, 1985, a date petitioner agreed he would be available. Petitioner was ordered to arrange his calendar to make sure that he was available. The presiding referee offered to communicate with any trial judge in order to facilitate petitioner's appearance. On June 21, petitioner's investigator called the State Bar examiner and informed her that petitioner would not appear at the hearing because he had to appear in a murder trial. The examiner told the investigator that only the hearing panel could grant a continuance, but that the last continuance had been granted on the understanding that there would be no further delay. She told the investigator that if petitioner could not appear at the hearing, he should at least have counsel appear to move for continuance. On June 24, 1985, petitioner failed to appear personally or through counsel. By mailgram received that morning, he requested another continuance on the ground that a death penalty case takes legal precedence. This time, the request was denied and the hearing proceeded in his absence. The hearing panel ordered that a transcript of the hearing be sent to petitioner, with notice that he could move within 15 days for a further hearing. The hearing was not completed in one day, and so was continued to July 16 and 17. On July 13, the State Bar continued the matter to August 12 and 13. On August 7 petitioner informed the principal referee that he would not appear at the hearing because he was involved in a capital case. The hearing proceeded in petitioner's absence. On September 9, the hearing panel convened to consider discipline. Counsel appeared for petitioner, and moved for continuance and for leave to interpose an affirmative defense. The motion for continuance was granted but the motion to present evidence in petitioner's defense was denied. On September 23, the hearing panel convened and in petitioner's presence, took evidence and concluded its hearing on the matter. The proceedings in this matter did not deny petitioner due process, nor was there any abuse of discretion in denying continuances. (3) Continuances of disciplinary hearings are disfavored, and a request for continuance must be supported by a factual showing of good cause. (Rule F.3, State Bar Court Rules.)... A strong rule against unnecessary delay is essential to ensure that the public will be protected by the prompt discipline of erring practitioners. [¶] Moreover, ... State Bar proceedings cannot be compared to criminal actions, and criminal procedural safeguards do not apply. Generally, an accused attorney has the obligation to obtain representation if he wants it, to appear at the hearing, and to present evidence. The hearing may proceed despite his voluntary absence, and his failure to participate is not grounds for a rehearing to present additional evidence. ( Yokozeki v. State Bar (1974) 11 Cal.3d 436, 447 [113 Cal. Rptr. 602, 521 P.2d 858].) ( Palomo v. State Bar (1984) 36 Cal.3d 785, 791-792 [205 Cal. Rptr. 834, 685 P.2d 1185]; see also Bambic v. State Bar (1985) 40 Cal.3d 314, 320 [219 Cal. Rptr. 489, 707 P.2d 862]; Dixon v. State Bar (1982) 32 Cal.3d 728, 736 [187 Cal. Rptr. 30, 653 P.2d 321].) (2b) Petitioner had ample opportunity during the 14 months in which the disciplinary proceedings were pending to prepare and present a defense. He repeatedly failed to appear, and failed to demonstrate that he was making any effort to arrange his calendar to accommodate the State Bar proceedings. The record suggests that, on the contrary, petitioner intended to delay the hearing before the hearing panel as long as he could. Under the circumstances, there was no abuse of discretion or denial of due process in denying the motion for continuance and the motion to reopen the hearing on the merits. (See Bambic v. State Bar, supra, 40 Cal.3d 314, 320; Palomo v. State Bar, supra, 36 Cal.3d 785, 793.) Petitioner claims that the hearing panel should have granted him relief from default under Code of Civil Procedure section 473 at the September 1985 hearing, and that we should reverse the order denying relief from default and remand for a full proceeding on the merits. Putting aside the question of the applicability of this provision to State Bar proceedings, petitioner never made a motion for relief from default, nor did he make the showing required under that section that his default was taken through his or her mistake, inadvertence, surprise or excusable neglect. (Code Civ. Proc., § 473, ¶ 3.) His current claim that he thought that criminal cases took precedence over State Bar proceedings cannot excuse his repeated failures to respond and appear during the 14 months that the State Bar proceedings were pending. We also reject petitioner's plea that we exercise our equitable powers to vacate the default because he has not had a fair adversary hearing. It was petitioner's refusal to cooperate, despite ample notice and many accommodations, that deprived him of an opportunity to present whatever evidence he had on the merits.