Opinion ID: 1857715
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The Husser Matter

Text: Respondent represented Joseph and Morningstar Husser in February 1998 when Woman's Hospital obtained a judgment against Mr. Husser. Thereafter, Mr. Husser instructed respondent to make arrangements with the hospital to permit him to pay the judgment in installments. Respondent claimed to have done so and informed his clients the hospital would accept the sum of $8,800 in installment payments. The Hussers then sent several payments totaling $8,800 to respondent, who was to forward said payments to the hospital. Although respondent assured the Hussers that the matter had been taken care of, when they later tried to sell their house, they learned the hospital still had a viable judgment against them because it never received any payments. Furthermore, the hospital advised the Hussers that it had never negotiated a resolution of the judgment with respondent. During the same period of time, the Hussers learned they owed sales taxes to the Louisiana Department of Revenue related to the operation of their business. Again, the Hussers requested respondent's help. He claimed to have arranged payment of the taxes to the Department of Revenue on an installment basis. The Hussers then sent several payments totaling $9,500 to respondent, who was to forward said payments to the Department of Revenue. Subsequently, the Department of Revenue seized the Hussers' bank accounts to satisfy the past due taxes. Thereafter, the Hussers learned respondent had never forwarded their funds to the Department of Revenue. In October 1999, counsel for Mr. and Mrs. Husser filed a complaint against respondent with the ODC. Following investigation of the complaint, the ODC determined that respondent's conduct violated Rules 8.4(b) (commission of a criminal act reflecting adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer) and 8.4(c) of the Rules of Professional Conduct.