Opinion ID: 1775584
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: McLAURIN'S VERSION

Text: McLaurin's answers calling for a yes or no were answered with a Uh-huh, or a Unh-huh. She did not know Moyo before the accident. When he came to her, she testified: Well, he come over there and said that he was sent over there to ask me how my son got hurt and what happened to him. She said there was no discussion as to how Moyo was to be paid. [1] She gave Moyo the ambulance bill. The next thing she heard from Moyo was about a month later when he came to her and gave her $500 in cash. She thought her son was in the hospital about a month. She said Moyo took her to the bank and gave her the $500 in cash after he had signed her name to the back of a check. None of the $500 was used to pay medical bills. She said that the next time she was in contact with Moyo was when she was put in jail and had her stepmother call him. She said she guessed he got $2,000 then to represent her. She further testified that when she got out of jail he gave her another $500 in cash, telling her this was what was left out of what he had paid to get her out of jail. She knew nothing about any settlement Moyo had made with the insurance companies. Moyo told her that he would pay the medical bills. In addition to the two $500 disbursements, McLaurin said she received $4,500 which she took to the bank. This was all that Moyo paid her until the summer of 1986, and long after the disciplinary proceedings had been instituted. In May or June, 1986, she said Moyo paid her $2,000. As to the $2,000, she said that Moyo told her this was to pay the medical bills. According to McLaurin, at the time of the hearing in October, 1986, Moyo had paid her a total of $7,500. She said that she had met with Moyo after she had made her complaint and that he promised to relief the money back to me. [2] At the hearing there was $578 remaining on deposit in the savings account. Despite her testimony on cross-examination, McLaurin testified she did not believe Moyo had tried to trick her, and that she had been rushed, or pushed into making a complaint. Appended as Exhibit A to his May 14, 1986, answer to the amended formal complaint of the bar, Moyo had the following instrument: Account for Anthony Morris Gross proceeds of Settlement $22,500.00 Attorney Fees 9,000.00 Net proceeds to Client, Check and Cash $13,500.00 Signed: /s/Mary Alice McLaurin Signed: /s/E.B. Moyo McLaurin testified that Moyo gave her this document to sign when she was at the jail. At the conclusion of its hearing, the complaint tribunal entered its findings of fact and conclusions of law. The tribunal was of the opinion the Bar had failed to prove by clear and convincing evidence that Moyo had solicited this case in violation of the professional code. It was of the opinion that he had failed to properly account for funds coming into his hands in violation of DR 5-104(A), and DR 9-102(B)(1, 3 and 4) of the Disciplinary Rules, had improperly borrowed $1,500 of the minor's funds in violation of DR 5-104(A), and converted $2,700 of the minor's money to pay himself a fee to represent McLaurin and pay the $200 bond fee. The tribunal's judgment was that Moyo receive a public reprimand. The Bar has appealed.