Opinion ID: 2303979
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Merritt

Text: The respondent is the son of Dorothy St. Onge, who passed away in August, 2005. In July of 2002, Dorothy sold a parcel of real estate and after payment of the expenses of the sale she received $228,902.64. Dorothy endorsed the proceeds check and delivered it to respondent. [1] He deposited those funds into his client account and used them to pay personal expenses for himself and for his mother. Funds belonging to other clients were also maintained in that account. The formal charges brought by this Court's disciplinary counsel alleged that these funds, or portions thereof, remained in respondent's client account until May 31, 2005, at which time the funds were exhausted. The respondent acknowledges these funds were in his client account, but he is uncertain as to when the last of those funds were withdrawn. There was no allegation that respondent misappropriated funds belonging to Dorothy. The Board found that respondent's conduct in this matter violated Rule 1.15(a) of the Rules of Professional Conduct. That rule provides, in pertinent part: A lawyer shall hold property of clients or third persons that is in a lawyer's possession in connection with a representation separate from the lawyer's own property. Rule 1.15 prohibits the commingling of client funds and the personal funds of a lawyer in one account. We previously have stated that the mandates of this rule are strict, and we have imposed discipline for failure to abide by its terms. Matter of Indeglia, 765 A.2d 444 (R.I.2001). B