Opinion ID: 1992646
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Count II: John E. Green

Text: 15. On December 14, 1993, Respondent filed a Chapter 13 petition on behalf of her client John E. Green in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia. (Case No. 93-01223). Respondent amended the petition on February 14, 1994. On March 11, 1994, the bankruptcy court issued an order confirming Mr. Green's Chapter 13 plan. 16. Shortly after Mr. Green's plan was confirmed, one of his creditors moved for relief from the automatic stay that had been granted by the Court. Respondent was served with a copy of this motion by the creditor's counsel. On March 16, 1994, the bankruptcy judge, the Honorable Martin Teel, issued a Notice of Preliminary Hearing and scheduled a hearing for April 8, 1994, at 9:30 a.m. Respondent was mailed a copy of this Notice by certified mail on March 18, 1994. 17. Respondent failed to appear at the scheduled preliminary hearing on April 8, 1994. (BX 43, 45). 18. On April 11, 1994, the Court issued an order requiring Respondent to show cause why she should not (a) be required to disgorge the attorney fees paid to her in the case and (b) be prohibited from acting as a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia Bankruptcy Court for six months, based in part upon her failure to appear at the April 8, 1994, hearing and also for her failure to assist her client in other ways. The show cause hearing was scheduled for April 21, 1994, at 9:30 a.m. 19. Respondent appeared one hour late on the morning of April 21, 1994, and the matter was reset to 3:00 p.m. to allow Respondent to attend a brief 2:00 p.m. hearing in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Rockville. Because Respondent did not appear in that Court until 3:00 p.m., Judge Teel was forced to reschedule the show cause hearing for April 22, 1994. (BX 44, BX 47 at pp. 3-4 n. 1). 20. The hearing went forward on April 22, 1994. The evidence at the hearing showed, and the Court found, that Respondent failed to appear at the April 8, 1994, hearing to represent the debtor [4] and that she had no justifiable excuse. The record showed Judge Teel had previously warned Respondent on December 17, 1993, in another case that if, in the future, she failed to appear on behalf of a client when her appearance had not been withdrawn, she would be subject to sanctions. (BX 45 at 43, 51; BX 46). Based on the evidence at the hearing, the Court ordered partial disgorgement of the fees that Respondent had received from Mr. Green and further ordered that Respondent be prohibited from entering her appearance in any new matters before the Bankruptcy Court in the District of Columbia for six months. (BX 45, BX 46 and BX 47).