Opinion ID: 1345596
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Stricker Matter

Text: On February 11, 1988, the accused was appointed by the Multnomah County District Court to represent an indigent defendant, Philip Stricker (Stricker) on a criminal charge. While Stricker's criminal trial was pending, he was released to the Burnside Projects Correction Case Management Program (Burnside Projects). In cooperation with the Multnomah County corrections office, Burnside Projects provides third-party supervision of accused persons released into the community in order to assure that defendants return to court for all necessary proceedings. The accused was notified in writing that Burnside Projects was monitoring Stricker. The program's director testified that Burnside Projects normally learns of a defendant's court date from the defendant's lawyer. Although Stricker did not have a home where he could be contacted, Burnside Projects' staff monitored his whereabouts by requiring that Stricker check in with them several times a week. On 12 occasions from February 17, 1988, through April 18, 1988, Burnside Projects' case management staff attempted to reach the accused by telephone and left messages indicating that they were calling on behalf of Stricker. The accused did not return any of these calls. The accused did not advise Burnside Projects that Stricker was required to appear in court on April 18, 1988. Neither the accused nor Stricker appeared at the April 18 hearing. Stricker's failure to appear resulted in a bench warrant for his arrest. After the Burnside Projects director appeared in court with Stricker on April 21, 1988, and explained to the court that the accused had failed to make any contact with Stricker, the judge withdrew the bench warrant. We affirm the Trial Panel's finding that the accused violated DR 6-101(B). The accused neglected Stricker's defense entrusted to her by the Multnomah County District Court through appointment as counsel. She failed to respond to numerous telephone messages from the Burnside Projects staff. The messages to the accused that she could contact Stricker through Burnside Projects were adequate to give the accused a means of contacting her client. The Trial Panel also found the accused guilty of violating DR 1-102(A)(3) and DR 7-102(A)(5). DR 1-102(A)(3) states: It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to    [e]ngage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. The Trial Panel found that the accused falsely informed the trial court that Stricker had failed to maintain contact with her when she herself had failed to maintain contact with Stricker. The evidence of this falsehood was the testimony of Katherine Kadderly, a social worker at Burnside Projects who was involved in monitoring Stricker. Kadderly testified that she was present at the Multnomah County District Court on April 18, 1988, when the court issued a bench warrant for Stricker's arrest based on his failure to make a court appearance scheduled for that day. Kadderly told the Trial Panel that she heard the clerk of the court advise the judge that the accused had telephoned in, that her client had not been in contact with her.    And [the] Judge    issued a bench warrant. We affirm the Trial Panel's finding that the Bar has proven, by clear and convincing evidence, that the accused violated DR 1-102(A)(3). As previously noted, the Trial Panel found the accused guilty of violating DR 7-102(A)(5) based upon her false statement to the court that Stricker had not maintained contact with her. The Bar, in its brief to this court, now questions the correctness of that finding because the accused's false statement to the court was designed to advance her own interests, rather than those of her client, Stricker. Whether the accused's false statement to the court is a violation of DR 7-102(A)(5) need not be resolved in this proceeding. Such misconduct by the accused, as discussed previously, constituted a violation of DR 1-102(A)(3). The sanction which we impose would not be enhanced if such misconduct were also a violation of DR 7-102(A)(5). [4]