Opinion ID: 1734452
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Failure to Provide Discovery

Text: The referee found that following the entry of the summary final judgment in the Lewis and Martin state litigation, the Westwood HOA was ordered to produce post-judgment financial discovery to Lewis and Martin. Klein did not produce the records until threatened with contempt more than two months later. Based on this failure to produce, the referee found that Klein had violated rule 4-3.4(c) (knowingly disobeying an obligation to a tribunal) and rule 4-8.4(d) (conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice). Klein simply argues that he had no intent to withhold discovery. The record reveals that the judge in the Lewis and Martin state litigation extended warnings to Klein concerning his failure to produce the records, and noted that Klein could have obtained the records personally because he was both the attorney for and an officer of the Westwood HOA. Although there is no direct testimony that Klein intended to disobey a court order, such intent can be inferred from the more than two months Klein had to produce the documents and his intimate involvement with the Westwood HOA. We approve the referee's findings as to this issue.