Opinion ID: 1796398
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: circumstances underlying the conviction

Text: Having found respondent was convicted for purposes of art. 15, § 8 does not end our inquiry, since our cases stress the facts and circumstances underlying the conviction are very important in determining the appropriate sanction to be imposed in a given case. Louisiana State Bar Ass'n v. Garraway, 520 So.2d 400 (La. 1988); Louisiana State Bar Ass'n v. Vesich, 476 So.2d 811 (La.1985); Louisiana State Bar Ass'n v. Frank, 472 So.2d 1 (La.1985). The facts as stated by the court of appeal show the charges against respondent arose from information relayed by a reliable confidential informant to Lieutenant Bud Connor of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. Lieutenant Connor testified this information was corroborated by a second informant who was also familiar with respondent. On April 22, 1985, the first informant told Lieutenant Connor that respondent was going to Crowley to pick up an ounce or more of cocaine which was to be delivered to a man named Pat Gremillion. The informant had personal knowledge of these facts and provided a detailed description of respondent's clothing, automobile, and the route he would be following. Based on this tip, police in several unmarked cars followed respondent as he left Baton Rouge. He stopped in the parking lot of a truck stop on Interstate 10 near the Crowley exit and met an individual later identified as Chris Phillips. After making several nervous glances around the parking lot, Phillips got into respondent's car. The two men then made a brief exit from and return to the parking lot. Lieutenant Connor characterized this as a heat check, meaning a brief detour or excursion commonly used by drug traffickers to lure police surveillance personnel so they can be more easily detected. As respondent returned to the parking lot, Phillips exited and went to the trunk of his own car. He pulled out a brown paper bag which was later shown to contain an ounce of cocaine. Phillips handed the bag to respondent. Respondent then headed back toward Baton Rouge at a rate of speed in excess of 100 miles per hour. He paused at a rest stop and was observed by one officer performing acts consistent with snorting cocaine. Respondent was stopped and arrested shortly after he crossed the Mississippi River Bridge. He signed a waiver of search form and a search of his vehicle was conducted. The officers found approximately one-half of a gram of cocaine located within a cassette tape case in a pouch on the driver's door. They found a brown paper bag located in a pouch on the back of the passenger seat; this bag contained approximately one ounce of cocaine. At the formal investigatory hearing, respondent testified on the day of his arrest he believed he was going to pick up an envelope containing money for a client, Cathy St. Claire, as a favor to her. Respondent had represented Ms. St. Claire in a child custody matter and expected to receive his fee out of the money (interestingly, respondent's fee was approximately $3,500; the cocaine he received had a street value of approximately $3,300). Respondent testified that fifteen minutes after he received the envelope, he opened it and determined it contained cocaine. He extracted a small quantity for his own use, then called his friend Pat Gremillion. Respondent claimed Gremillion was the only person he knew who could dispose of such a large quantity of cocaine. He testified he was angry at being tricked into picking up the cocaine by Ms. St. Claire, and his only motivation was to get rid of it as soon as possible. Respondent theorized Ms. St. Claire had set him up in return for authorities releasing her boyfriend from jail. Respondent also noted several of the arresting officers held grudges against him, stemming from an earlier incident when he successfully sued the police department for civil damages resulting from an illegal search. However, he presented no evidence to support either theory. After reviewing the evidence, the commissioner stated: Even assuming, although not finding, that Respondent came into possession of the cocaine in a wholly innocent manner, his actions and statements indicate a later knowing intent to distribute some or all of the cocaine to a known drug dealer who could dispose of it and make something from it. We agree with the commissioner. The facts clearly show respondent knowingly possessed a large quantity of cocaine and intended to distribute it to a friend who he knew was a drug dealer. Such actions constitute serious offenses and have been held to warrant discipline. Louisiana State Bar Ass'n v. Bensabat, 378 So.2d 380 (La.1979).