Opinion ID: 2600234
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 25

Heading: General Allegations in Roundtree Matter

Text: In 2001, complainant Roundtree hired the respondent to represent his company, Artistic Plumbing (Artistic) against Capitol Indemnity Corp. (Capitol), a bonding company. Artistic had done work at the Montview Juvenile Correctional Facility and allegedly was not paid by the general contractor. The general contractor went out of business, and the bonding company hired another plumbing contractor. In September 2001, Capitol sued Artistic alleging that Artistic had been overpaid for the work it had done. Capitol alleged that Artistic had been paid about $185,000 on a $187,000 contract, yet only about half of the work was done by Artistic. Respondent filed an answer and a counter claim on October 16, 2001, on behalf of Artistic. On December 4, 2001, the case was set for trial to occur on August 19, 2002. On about August 15, 2002, respondent filed a motion for continuance stating in part that he was a sole practitioner who had been in several jury trials within the recent weeks. In effect, respondent stated that he was not ready to go to trial. At a hearing, Judge Frank Martinez denied the respondent's continuance on those grounds, but did continue the case because the parties had not engaged in alternative dispute resolution. On the same date that respondent filed a motion for continuance, he filed a motion to withdraw citing a conflict of interest with his client. However, respondent agreed to stay on the case at that hearing, and the judge did not rule on the respondent's motion to withdraw at that time. The mediation occurred and no resolution was reached. The case was set for trial to occur April 14, 2003. On April 9, 2003, respondent filed another motion to continue. He raised the fact that he had a conflict of interest and that his previous motion to withdraw had not been ruled upon. Judge Shelly Gillman had rotated into the courtroom where the case was assigned, and she ordered that Judge Joseph Meyer conduct a hearing with respondent and complainant Roundtree to determine if there was a conflict of interest. Judge Meyer ruled that there was a conflict, and respondent was allowed to withdraw. The case was reset for trial to occur on June 30, 2003. On April 19, 2003, the court awarded attorney fees against complainant Roundtree and respondent in an amount to be determined after trial. Part of the request for attorney's fees is based on expenses of plaintiff's witness to come to Colorado for that trial. As of the date of the filing of this complaint, it is not known if an amount of fees has been awarded. Complainant Roundtree has new counsel, William Richardson, who has asked for a hearing on the attorney fee issue. The respondent has never filed a response to the request for investigation in this matter.