Opinion ID: 2712855
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: count two: forgery

Text: The JTC found that respondent signed her former attorney’s (Ms. Dudley’s) name on legal documents (motion, brief, praecipe, and notice of hearing) without her permission and filed these documents with the court, also without her permission. We 11 In addition to testifying falsely under oath in Judge Brennan’s courtroom, we observe that respondent also treated Judge Brennan in a highly disrespectful manner. Respondent repeatedly interrupted Judge Brennan, spoke over her, and clearly sought to evade her questions. 10 agree. While respondent admits that she signed Ms. Dudley’s name on the documents and filed them with the court, she asserts that she believed that she did have Ms. Dudley’s permission to do so. Ms. Dudley testified that she did not sign the documents and she did not give respondent permission to sign or file the documents on her behalf. Indeed, she testified that she had never given respondent permission to sign her name on any documents. She also testified that respondent did not send her a copy of the legal documents. Finally, Ms. Dudley testified that when she became aware that the documents had been signed and filed without her permission by way of a telephone call from respondent’s now ex-husband’s attorney, she emailed respondent, stating: I did not receive any contact from you this week and hopefully you did not file any pleadings with my name without me first reviewing them and without my permission. We agree with the JTC that respondent’s contention that she believed that she had Ms. Dudley’s permission to sign Ms. Dudley’s name on the legal documents and file them with the court is not credible. To begin with, Ms. Dudley was not even representing respondent when respondent signed and filed the documents under Ms. Dudley’s name. The judgment of divorce expressly released Ms. Dudley from any further representation of respondent, and respondent was well-aware that Ms. Dudley was no longer representing her as evidenced by her May 5, 2011 email stating, “In the unlikely event the issue is not resolved tomorrow, I will retain an appellate person to handle the matter.” In addition, after respondent signed Ms. Dudley’s name on the legal documents and filed them, respondent sent Ms. Dudley an email stating, “I tried contacting you earlier this week to obtain permission to file a quick pleading on my behalf under your 11 name.”12 Respondent would not have tried to contact Ms. Dudley to obtain her permission to sign and file the documents under Ms. Dudley’s name if she already had Ms. Dudley’s permission to do so. Respondent also did not indicate in any manner, on any of the documents, that she was signing Ms. Dudley’s name with her permission. Finally, as discussed above, Ms. Dudley testified that she had never given respondent permission to sign her name or file documents on her behalf.13 On the basis of this evidence, we agree with the JTC that respondent signed Ms. Dudley’s name on legal documents absent Ms. Dudley’s permission and filed these documents with the court, also without Ms. Dudley’s permission.