Opinion ID: 2512380
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The $1,500 Payment on April 9, 2002 and the $1,000 Payment on April 12, 2002

Text: ¶ 25 The hearing officer concluded that Mr. Cramer should have known that the April 9 and April 12 payments totaling $2,500 were to be deposited in the Trust Account. The Board added that Mr. Cramer acted with knowledge. CP at 97. ¶ 26 The hearing officer found that Mr. Garcia's case was set for trial on April 15, 2002. Within a week before trial, Mr. Cramer told Mr. Garcia that he would withdraw as counsel unless he was paid $2,500 by April 12, 2002, stating that he had bills to pay too. Id. The hearing officer found that Mr. Cramer knew on April 12 that Mr. Garcia's case would not go to trial on April 15. During April 2002, Mr. Cramer owed back employment taxes and had a payment agreement with the IRS. Mr. Cramer was experiencing financial difficulties as evidenced by a number of overdrafts in his Business Account. The Business Account was overdrawn more than once during the month of April. There would not have been sufficient funds in Mr. Cramer's Business Account to clear the April IRS check if Mr. Garcia's funds had been deposited correctly in the Trust Account. Additionally, the hearing officer found that on April 12, Mr. Cramer needed time to pay a settlement of another grievance filed against him. Id. ¶ 27 Mr. Cramer does not contest these facts. He admits that he negligently deposited the $2,500 payments from Mr. Garcia into his Business Account instead of the Trust Account. He denies, however, that he purposefully deposited the $2,500 into the Business Account or that he was even aware of that account having insufficient funds. Mr. Cramer testified that he does not use online banking and does not regularly call the bank to check the account's status. He argues that because he waited until after the weekend to deposit the checks (he received the final check on Friday, April 12 and deposited the $2,500 on Monday, April 15) it shows that he was unaware or unconcerned about the Business Account balance or the outstanding IRS check. ¶ 28 The hearing officer's findings of Mr. Cramer's knowledge underlying his actions are supported by substantial evidence. Mr. Cramer concedes that the funds were unearned and placed in the wrong account. Mr. Cramer's Business Account was overdrawn on more than one occasion, and an IRS check was pending. Mr. Cramer demanded that Mr. Garcia pay him by April 12, stating he had bills to pay too. Id. There is substantial evidence to support the finding that Mr. Cramer knew or should have known that he was depositing Mr. Garcia's payments into the wrong account.