Opinion ID: 1530578
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Complaint of Patricia Carmichael

Text: Based upon allegations set forth in this Complaint as well as testimony elicited from the Respondent at an IPH on May 3, 1994, an investigation into Mr. Milliken's representation of Patricia Carmichael took place. The following facts were established. Patricia Carmichael testified under oath before the IPH by telephone from a federal correctional facility in California on April 20, 1995 (Exhibit 13) and on May 23, 1995 (Exhibit 14). She was introduced to Mr. Milliken by Mr. Morgan. Mr. Milliken visited her with Morgan one time at the Montgomery County Detention Center. He agreed to represent her on her three (3) pending state matters for an agreed fee of $1,500.00. The three matters involved a Parole Violation, and two (2) state matters involving theft charges. Ms. Carmichael's mother, Iva Andrew, sent the $1,500.00 to Mr. Morgan. Mr. Morgan gave Mr. Milliken $1,500.00. Mr. Milliken in turn gave him back $500.00 for Morgan's services in working on Ms. Carmichael's legal problems. After the initial meeting at the Montgomery County Detention Center Ms. Carmichael never heard from Mr. Milliken again. He did not effect the desired nolle prosequi on the state charges, nor did he assist in bringing about the lifting of the Maryland detainers. The state matters were ultimately resolved with the assistance of Colleen Beach, a legal intern at Legal Aid at Lexington, Kentucky. Although the Respondent denied in testimony before this court that he ever represented Ms. Carmichael, his testimony before the Inquiry Panel on May 3, 1994 indicates otherwise. In fact, before the Inquiry Panel at a time before Ms. Carmichael had filed a Complaint with the AGC, the Respondent testified that he was hired to negotiate with a State's Attorney to nolle pros Ms. Carmichael's shoplifting charge in order for her to avoid serving substantial federal time. He specifically stated that, that's what I was hired for and that's what I dealt with. Before this Court, Mr. Milliken testified that he spoke with Ms. Carmichael at the Baltimore City or Baltimore County Detention Center and told her that he would handle her State case for $1500.00. He testified that he made it clear that he would not do any work until he was paid in full and then he gave Ms. Carmichael his name, address, telephone number, paper and a pen, and told her to have a relative get in touch with him about the fee. Mr. Milliken stated that he never again heard from Ms. Carmichael. Two letters, allegedly signed by the Respondent, and on his office letterhead, were introduced into evidence before this Court. One letter was addressed to Ms. Carmichael and confirmed that Mr. Milliken had been retained, having received the necessary funds, and that he would visit her within a week. The second letter was addressed to the Warden of the Montgomery County Detention Center indicating that the Respondent was Ms. Carmichael's attorney and he intended to visit his client. The Respondent denied writing the letters, and suggested that Mr. Morgan may have used the Respondent's letterhead and forged the Respondent's signature. Mr. Morgan appeared before this Court on May 2, 1996, and confirmed that he arranged the meeting between Ms. Carmichael and Mr. Milliken and Mr. Milliken returned $500.00 to Mr. Morgan for services rendered. The testimony of Ms. Carmichael before the IPH, the testimony of Mr. Morgan before the IPH and before this Court, as well as that of Mr. Milliken before both the IPH and this Court are essentially consistent with respect to Mr. Morgan introducing Mr. Milliken to Ms. Carmichael, arranging their meeting, the nature of the work to be performed and the amount of the fee. At a time before Ms. Carmichael had actually filed a Complaint, Mr. Milliken readily, repeatedly and in great detail admitted that he was hired by Ms. Carmichael to deal with her state matters. His subsequent denial before this Court years after such admissions and at a time after Ms. Carmichael's complaint was filed and pursued by the AGC, renders Mr. Milliken's former rather than latter testimony credible. This Court further finds that Ms. Carmichael's testimony that Mr. Milliken never did any work in her cases was, however, in some sense at least corroborated by Mr. Milliken's later position in testimony before this Court in that he acknowledged that he never did any work. His justification, i.e., never having received any money from her, is what is not credible. This Court's conclusion is further bolstered by the fact that once again Mr. Milliken produced no record, files or documentation of any kind to support any of his testimony at any time. By failing to undertake any work in this case Mr. Milliken has violated his obligation under Rule 1.3 to act with diligence in representing this client. By not communicating with her, or responding to her or her family's messages and requests for contact he has violated Rule 1.4(a) which governs his obligation to communicate with his client and to comply with reasonable requests for information. Having failed to do any work whatsoever for Ms. Carmichael his fee of $1,500.00 can hardly be said to have been reasonable as required by Rule 1.5(a). Further under Rule 1.5(b) Mr. Milliken was obligated to communicate, preferably in writing, the basis or rate of his fee to Ms. Carmichael, who had not regularly been represented by Mr. Milliken. In this instance there was never any communication of any kind concerning the basis of his fee. The evidence in this matter further satisfies this Court that Mr. Milliken violated Rule 5.4 by sharing legal fees with a nonlawyer. Mr. Morgan got the $1,500.00 fee from Ms. Carmichael's family, gave it all to Mr. Milliken, who immediately gave $500.00 back to Mr. Morgan. By requesting a fee, receiving it in full, and then failing to do any work whatsoever Mr. Milliken's conduct and actions were dishonest, deceitful and fraudulent. They constitute not only misconduct, but indeed the very kind of misconduct which is also prejudicial to the administration of justice under Rule 8.4. Finally, in this as in several other instances, Mr. Milliken by his own admissions failed to respond to a lawful demand for information by Bar Counsel concerning this Complaint in violation of Rule 8.1(b).