Opinion ID: 1525615
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Complaint Against Bar Counsel

Text: Prior to the hearing, at the hearing, and on appeal to the Board, Respondent has complained that Bar Counsel and Assistant Bar Counsel lacked any good faith factual basis for charging Respondent in essence with the forging of Mr. Byorick's signature on the back of the check. Resp't's Brief, dated March 15, 2007 at 2-12. Both the Hearing Committee and the Board have determined that there is a lack of clear and convincing evidence to conclude that Respondent forged Mr. Byorick's name on the check. But the charge was not made in isolation. As set forth in the Committee Report, the assertion in the charges was only made after Bar Counsel received what certainly appeared to be credible allegations from long-standing D.C. businessmen and lawyers that they had never received any proceeds from a check in which they claimed to have an interest, and where their requests for information about that check from Respondent had been met with what at most charitably could be described as stonewalling. When in light of those allegations Bar Counsel determined through investigation that the check in issue had been deposited into Respondent's personal bank account, without notice to his client, and virtually all the money had been spent by Respondent on personal matters within three weeks, we cannot say leveling an allegation that the endorsement had been forged was beyond what a prosecutorial official might reasonably charge. Disciplinary petitions by Bar Counsel are based on probable cause, not the clear and convincing level of proof necessary to prove a violation. See Board Rules 7.1 and 11.5.