Opinion ID: 2071683
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Roger Ruby

Text: Ruby was charged with driving while intoxicated. Ficker represented him in the District Court where, on May 25, 1990, he pled guilty. The judge postponed sentencing until July 17, 1990, and directed Ficker to arrange for Ruby to be evaluated by the Montgomery County Pre-Release Center (PRC) to determine his eligibility for a special treatment program for repeat offenders, identified in the record as the C.A.T.S. program. At the time, the PRC would not actually schedule an interview unless (1) the attorney called to schedule an interview, and (2) the client then called personally to schedule an appointment. There was some dispute about the lead time necessary for PRC to make a screening report for sentencing purposes; Judge Ferretti found that the lead time was between four and six weeks. It is undisputed, and Judge Ferretti found, that, immediately upon leaving court, with his client still with him, Ficker attempted to contact the PRC but was unsuccessful. Ficker claimed that Ruby was due at his home to do some landscaping work the following FridayJune 1, 1990and decided to call again at that time. Unfortunately, Ruby did not show up, and so the call was never made. Ficker said that he did not call to schedule an appointment because he did not think that Ruby would keep any appointment that might be made. He stated that he called Ruby a number of times and left messages. On July 12, with still no appointment set, Ficker had Burfield call PRC to schedule an appointment, and one was scheduled for July 24. Being unable to proceed on July 17, the judge postponed sentencing until July 26. Ruby apparently attempted to keep his appointment with PRC, but got lost on the way. He showed up in court on July 26 under the influence of alcohol. The judge denied another request for postponement and imposed a sentence of 179 days incarceration, without a PRC recommendation. For failing to call PRC in a timely manner, AGC charged Ficker with violations of MLRPC Rules 1.3, 3.4, and 8.4(d). Judge Ferretti found that Ficker had a continuing obligation to attempt to contact the PRC in a timely fashion i.e., at least thirty (30) days prior to the sentencing date), and that had he fulfilled that obligation, the judge would have been able to proceed with sentencing on July 17 even if Ruby had missed any appointment scheduled for him. On that premise, the judge found all three rules violated. Ficker has excepted to those rulings, contending that there was really nothing more that he could have done to assure a timely screening of his client. We find no merit in those exceptions. A screener from PRC testified that there was, in 1990, a 30-day lag time for the screening process and that PRC would not commence the process until an attorney called. When an attorney called, PRC would begin collecting information but would not schedule a client interview until the client called. PRC allowed two weeks for a client to call; because of pending appointments, it could not schedule an interview within that period in any event. When Ficker's office called, on July 12, PRC was unaware that a sentencing date of July 17 had been scheduled. After Ruby himself called, it scheduled an interview for July 24. PRC did not learn that sentencing had been scheduled for July 17 until the judge called that day to inquire why a report had not been prepared. Ficker acknowledged his awareness of PRC's backlog and requirements. He knew that there was not much leeway if a report was to be rendered by July 17, and for him to make no effort to start the process with PRC until July 12 was to guarantee that a report would not be forthcoming by the date set for sentencing. It was not the case that an earlier call from him would have been futile. As noted, not only would his call have allowed PRC to begin gathering information necessary for a report, but no interview would have been scheduled for Ruby without that call. His lack of diligence did, indeed, constitute a violation of MLRPC Rule 1.3. It also constituted a knowing disobedience of the judge's instruction to have his client evaluated in time for sentencing on July 17, in violation of Rule 3.4(c).