Opinion ID: 1345596
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the bar investigations

Text: After receiving a letter of complaint from Johnson, disciplinary counsel for the Bar sent the accused a copy of the letter and requested that the accused respond by November 23, 1987. The accused failed to respond. Upon referring Johnson's complaint to the Local Professional Responsibility Committee (LPRC) on December 3, 1987, disciplinary counsel sent a certified letter to the accused urging her to cooperate with the investigation. A return receipt for this letter was signed B.A. Recker and returned to disciplinary counsel. The LPRC attempted to contact the accused by mail and by telephone messages, but the accused did not answer these attempts. Shortly after the LPRC's unsuccessful attempts to contact the accused regarding the Johnson matter, the accused was appointed to represent Stricker. On April 22, 1988, the Bar's disciplinary counsel received a complaint from Burnside Projects regarding the conduct of the accused with respect to Stricker's defense. Once again, disciplinary counsel and the LPRC attempted repeatedly to contact the accused by mail and by telephone messages, but she did not respond. Finally, a member of the LPRC issued a civil subpoena duces tecum requiring the accused to appear and provide documents relating to the Stricker matter. The subpoena was personally served on the accused on July 23, 1988, but she failed to appear in response to it. The Bar initiated these formal disciplinary proceedings against the accused by personally serving her with the amended formal complaint on May 15, 1989. The accused did not file an answer or otherwise respond in these proceedings. The Bar alleges that the accused violated DR 1-103(C), which provides: A lawyer who is the subject of a disciplinary investigation shall respond fully and truthfully to inquiries from and comply with reasonable requests of a tribunal or other authority empowered to investigate or act upon the conduct of lawyers, subject only to the exercise of any applicable right or privilege. The evidence is clear and convincing that the accused has violated DR 1-103(C) in both the Johnson and Stricker complaints. She did not respond to the inquiries of disciplinary counsel and the LPRC, and ignored the LPRC's subpoena. The accused has not attempted to describe her omissions as the exercise of any applicable right or privilege.