Opinion ID: 1156703
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: colston's response

Text: Colston concedes he has violated the Code of Professional Responsibility. [2] In mitigation of discipline he offers evidence of his mental and emotional state between 1983 and 1987  the period during which his misconduct occurred. During this time Colston was plagued by serious personal problems as well as by a stressful work environment, both of which, he claims, affected him adversely. Colston divorced his first wife in 1983, the marital breakdown allegedly stemming from her change in sexual preferences. In 1985 he married his current wife. She developed severe alcohol problems in September 1986 and was later hospitalized for treatment. During the period of the charged misconduct Colston's work environment had been very stressful. He handled a vast number of cases. While in the early 1980's he had 40 to 50 active foreclosure files, that number rose steadily until it reached 500 to 600. Later on, his personal case load decreased to about 350 or 400 cases, although he was the supervising lawyer for another 200. Colston was working about 12 to 14 hours a day. It is urged that this heavy workload, coupled with highly traumatic marital experiences, plunged him into severe depression. Colston left in March 1987 the law firm where he was working and entered private practice in Norman. He has reduced his case load to about 40 or 50 cases at a time, limiting himself to an eight-hour workday. In May 1987 Colston sought psychological counseling services and continues receiving them at present.