Opinion ID: 2225485
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Client R.R.

Text: ¶ 6 In 2001 R.R. was convicted in Kenosha County and sentenced to prison. R.R. hired Attorney Boyd in November 2005 to represent him in a federal habeas corpus action. R.R. paid Attorney Boyd $3,000 for the retainer fee. Attorney Boyd filed the petition in federal court, but did not use the form required by local rule in habeas corpus cases. R.R. also filed a pro se motion and petition. The federal court denied all the pleadings and allowed Attorney Boyd to file an amended petition for writ of habeas corpus on a specified form on or before May 5, 2006. Attorney Boyd did not advise R.R. of the court's rulings or that she filed a motion for an order to hold in abeyance the petition for a writ of habeas corpus. An amended petition was never filed on behalf of R.R. Attorney Boyd and R.R. agreed Attorney Boyd should withdraw from the representation. ¶ 7 R.R. requested Attorney Boyd return the $3,000 advance payment, but Attorney Boyd did not return the fee. The federal court received a communication from R.R. and directed Attorney Boyd to apprise the court why Attorney Boyd failed to communicate the court's ruling to her client. Attorney Boyd did not respond to that court's directive. R.R. wrote Attorney Boyd and asked questions about his case. Attorney Boyd did not respond. In June 2006 the federal court ordered Attorney Boyd to show cause regarding her representation of R.R. Ultimately, Attorney Boyd withdrew the petition for habeas corpus. A new petition was filed in federal court, but it was not timely. Attorney Boyd did not ask the court to reopen the earlier case that had been timely filed. On May 8, 2007, the federal court denied the petition for a writ of habeas corpus and dismissed the case. ¶ 8 With respect to Attorney Boyd's representation of R.R., the referee found as follows: Count 1. Attorney Boyd violated SCR 20:1.1 [2] by not providing competent representation to R.R. Count 2. Attorney Boyd violated SCR 20:1.3 [3] by failing to file an amended habeas corpus petition, by failing to submit a timely response to the court, by delaying the filing of a new habeas corpus petition until after the statutory deadline had expired, and by failing to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing her client. Count 3. Attorney Boyd violated former SCR 20:1.4(a) [4] by failing to inform R.R. she had filed a particular motion, by failing to inform R.R. of the federal court's order denying all petitions, by failing to keep her client reasonably informed as to the status of his case, and by failing to promptly comply with reasonable requests for information. Count 4. Attorney Boyd violated former SCR 20:1.5(a) [5] by accepting a $3,000 fee and then failing to provide services that were necessary to preserve the client's rights. The referee agreed the legal fee was not reasonable.