Opinion ID: 2621695
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the hearing committee's recommendation to issue a private reprimand in the current case is approved

Text: The Hearing Committee found that Defendant A violated IRPC 1.5(f) and recommended a private reprimand. In reviewing the decisions or recommendations of a hearing committee in past decisions, the Supreme Court has looked to see if the decision was clearly erroneous or arbitrary and capricious. Runsvold v. Idaho State Bar, 129 Idaho 419, 420, 925 P.2d 1118, 1119 (1996). There is sufficient evidence to support the determination that Defendant A did not comply with IRCP 1.5(f). Neither Defendant A nor Wilhelm agree, however, with the private reprimand. Defendant A argues that his billing procedures were twice reviewed by the ISB and twice were determined sufficient. He points out that this was a very difficult and uncooperative client, that he had never before and has not since been disciplined by the ISB nor has any client submitted any complaint against him. He asserts that no reprimand should be issued. Wilhelm believes that a private reprimand is akin to no discipline and serves to merely condone Defendant A's behavior. Considering the findings of the Hearing Committee and the mitigating factors, a private reprimand is appropriate. ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanction (1991 Ed.), Standard 2.6 Admonition, states the following: [Private Reprimand] is the least serious of the formal disciplinary sanctions, and is the only private sanction ... [private reprimand] should be used only when the lawyer is negligent, when the ethical violation results in little or no injury to a client, the public, the legal system, or the profession, and when there is little or no likelihood of repetition. Relying on these criteria should help protect the public while, at the same time, avoid damage to a lawyer's reputation when future ethical violations seem unlikely. At worst Defendant A was negligent. He did not seek to defraud the client. Both the ISB and the two hearing committees found that Defendant A did not commit fraud, but was merely unable to account with sufficient detail the work he did for Wilhelm. Although it was found that his billing practices in this case were in disarray, there was never any finding that he was attempting to cover up or hide any wrongdoing. Wilhelm claims to have been injured in that he alleges that Defendant A overcharged him for his criminal defense. This allegation, although repeatedly asserted, has not been proved. According to the ABA, a private reprimand is appropriate when there is little or no likelihood of repetition. Defendant A never had any billing problems prior to his representation of Wilhelm and has not had any problems in the four years since. The Hearing Committee's determination that Defendant A committed a violation is supportable by the evidence. The following mitigating factors also exist. Defendant A voluntarily complied with the investigation. He responded to all questions and complied with all requests to the extent he was able. Although his responses were not enough to convince the Hearing Committee that no violation had taken place, there is no evidence indicating that he lied to or kept information from either Wilhelm or the ISB. Wilhelm denies that he agreed to the flat fee of $13,000 for work billed in the February, 1998, billing statement but he paid the bill and did not object until he needed money for legal fees associated with his claims for post-conviction relief over a year later. Defendant A has not provided a written flat fee agreement for the bill in question, but IRPC 1.5 does not state that flat fee agreements must be made in writing. Based on the nature of the infraction, the fact that this is the first and only time Defendant A's billing practices have been called into question, and considering the mitigating factors discussed above, the Hearing Committee's recommendation to issue a private reprimand in the current case is not clearly erroneous or arbitrary and capricious. The recommendation is adopted by the Court.