Opinion ID: 2311060
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: the violations found by the hearing committee

Text: The Hearing Committee found that Respondent violated Rules 1.1(a) and (b), 1.3(a) and (b)(1), 1.16(a) and 8.4(d). The Board agrees that the Respondent lapsed in his representation of Mr. Stemple with respect to Rules 1.1(b), 1.3(a) and (b)(1), 1.16(a) and 8.4(d). A. Rule 1.1(a) and (b). Rule 1.1(a) requires a lawyer to provide competent representation to a client. Rule 1.1(b) requires a lawyer to serve a client with skill and care commensurate with that generally afforded to clients by other lawyers in similar matters. It is clear that Respondent did not meet his obligation to represent Mr. Stemple with the skill and care commensurate with that generally afforded to clients in federal criminal defense matters. Because there is no evidence that lack of competence was at issue, however, we conclude that Respondent violated Rule 1.1(b) but not Rule 1.1(a). Respondent entered his appearance as counsel for Mr. Stemple in a felony criminal case. His client potentially faced decades of imprisonment if convicted. Respondent nonetheless allowed a deadline to pass for filing of motions, although non-frivolous motions were available to his client. He simply ceased to make efforts on his client's behalf, although the case was pending trial. Representation of a criminal defendant in a complex, multi-defendant federal case obviously requires diligence in investigation of the facts, and in pressing available legal arguments through every stage of the proceedings. Respondent did neither. There came a point in the representation when he simply ran away, without so much as a telephone call to the client. This conduct clearly violates Rule 1.1(b). See In re Lyles, 680 A.2d 408, 416-17 (D.C.1996); In re Sumner, 665 A.2d 986, 989 (D.C.1995). It is not true in every case, however, that failure to represent a client with skill and care is related to a lack of competence in the representation. There was no evidence whatever before the Hearing Committee that Respondent lapsed because he was not competent to defend a complex federal criminal case. To the contrary, Respondent succeeded in having the case against Mr. Stemple dismissed in Illinois. Respondent apparently enjoyed a successful practice as court-appointed defense counsel in the federal courts. There is no suggestion in the record that Respondent was in over his head in the Stemple matter; he simply walked away from it. The Board concludes that Rule 1.1(b) and 1.3 violations are better tailored to address the situation in which a lawyer capable to handle a representation walks away from it for reasons unrelated to his competence in that area of practice. Indeed, the Hearing Committee noted in its discussion of the Rule 1.3 violations that Respondent was an experienced criminal defense attorney who knew the ethical and professional responsibilities to his client and the court. Hearing Committee Report at 5. This is a different case from Sumner, for example, where the respondent had never handled a criminal appeal before. The respondent in Sumner walked away from that matter as well. Violations of both Rule 1.1(a) and (b) were established, because the failure to represent the client with skill and care was a product of his lack of competence in criminal appellate practice. That is not true in this case. B. Rule 1.3(a) and (b)(1). Rule 1.3(a) requires an attorney to represent a client zealously and diligently within the bounds of the law. A respondent can violate Rule 1.3(a) without an intent to do so. The failure to take action for a significant time to further a client's cause, whether or not prejudice to the client results, violates this Rule. In re Dietz, 633 A.2d 850 (D.C.1993). Respondent clearly violated Rule 1.3(a) when he failed to file motions and to make himself available for court proceedings and client consultation. Rule 1.3(b)(1) provides: A lawyer shall not intentionally fail to seek the lawful objectives of a client through reasonably available means permitted by law and the disciplinary rules. Proof of a violation of Rule 1.3(b)(1) requires a finding that Respondent intentionally failed to seek his client's lawful objectives. Neglect ripens into an intentional violation when the lawyer is aware of his neglect of the client matter, or the neglect is so pervasive that the lawyer must be aware of it. In re Reback, 487 A.2d 235, 240 (D.C. 1985), rev'd on other grounds, 513 A.2d 226 (D.C.1986) ( en banc ). Knowing abandonment of a client is the classic case of a Rule 1.3(b)(1) violation, and that is precisely what Respondent did to Mr. Stemple in the Michigan case. C. Rule 1.4(a). Rule 1.4(a) requires that: A lawyer shall keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter and promptly comply with reasonable requests for information. This is an egregious case of a Rule 1.4(a) violation. There came a point where Respondent could not even be found by his client, counsel for co-defendants, or the court. Respondent failed not only to keep his client informed about the status of the case, but about his own intent to abandon the representation. D. Rule 1.16(d). Rule 1.16(d) provides: In connection with the termination of representation, a lawyer shall take timely steps to the extent reasonably practicable to protect a client's interests, such as giving reasonable notice to the client, allowing time for employment of other counsel, surrendering papers and property to which the client is entitled, and refunding any advance payment of fee that has not been earned. The findings of fact made by the Hearing Committee establish that Respondent failed to give notice to Mr. Stemple when he terminated the representation, that he did not allow time for Mr. Stemple to find successor counsel before deadlines passed in the criminal case, and that he never surrendered Mr. Stemple's files or any unearned fee. Mr. Stemple's file apparently was lost when Respondent was evicted from his apartment in October 1993. Respondent took no action from the time the representation ended until the eviction to provide the file to the client. We agree with the Hearing Committee, which concluded that [a]ll of these failures, individually and collectively, form the basis of the Rule 1.16(d) violation. Hearing Committee Report at 6. E. Rule 8.4(d). The Hearing Committee also concluded, and we agree, that Respondent's failure to be available to the court in a matter in which he had entered his appearance violated the prohibition against conduct that seriously interferes with the administration of justice. Respondent failed to provide an accurate address to the court, so he did not appear for a scheduled motions hearing. Because Respondent did not withdraw, the client and court encountered a lengthy delay while they tried to locate Respondent. When the client finally realized he had been abandoned, his successor counsel had to seek more time in which to file motions in order to protect the client's interests. Such unresponsiveness to the court violates Rule 8.4(d). See In re Delate, 579 A.2d 1177 (D.C.1990); In re Alexander, 496 A.2d 244, 255 (D.C. 1985); In re Burka, 423 A.2d 181 (D.C. 1980)(all decided under predecessor DR 1-102(A)(5)).