Opinion ID: 2637901
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Sanctions/Impositions of Discipline

Text: The ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions (1991 & Supp.1992) (ABA Standards ) is the guiding authority for selecting the appropriate sanctions to impose for lawyer misconduct. ABA Standard 4.11 provides disbarment is generally appropriate when a lawyer knowingly converts client property and causes injury or potential injury to a client. In the instant case, it was established that Hambric knowingly converted funds belonging to his clients, the Funcannons, and to Ms. Sandoval. ABA Standard 4.41(a) provides that disbarment is generally appropriate when a lawyer abandons the practice and causes serious or potentially serious injury to a client. Hambric abandoned his clients in the Funcannon matter and the Sandoval matter. ABA Standard 4.42(b) provides that suspension is generally appropriate when a lawyer engages in a pattern of neglect and causes injury or potential injury to a client. Under Colorado law, disbarment is the warranted sanction for conversion coupled with abandonment. See People v. Townshend, 933 P.2d 1327 (Colo.1997)(disbarring the attorney for accepting retainers from two clients and then effectively abandoning their matters); People v. Varallo, 913 P.2d 1, 12 (Colo.1996)(disbarring attorney for knowingly using client funds for his personal benefit, appropriating client's refundable retainer with without authorization, commingling client and personal funds and failing to pay investigator); People v. Elliot, 99PDJ059 (consolidated with 99PDJ086), slip op. at 8 (Colo. PDJ March 1, 2000), 29 Colo. Law.112, 114 (May 2000)(disbarring the attorney for converting client funds by failing to promptly refund the unearned retainer and abandoning the clients in violation of Colo. RPC 8.4(c) and Colo. RPC 1.16(d)); People v. Pedersen, 35 P.3d 173, 177 (Colo. PDJ 1999), 28 Colo. Law.134, 135 (Nov.1999)(disbarring the attorney for failing to provide legal services for which he was paid a retainer, failing to communicate with his client for over fifteen months and failure to refund or account for the unearned retainer). Determination of the appropriate sanction requires the PDJ and Hearing Board to consider mitigating and aggravating factors pursuant to ABA Standards 9.32 and 9.22 respectively. Hambric did not participate in these proceedings therefore no mitigating factors were presented. The facts deemed admitted in the Complaints establish several aggravating factors pursuant to ABA Standard 9.22: Hambric had a dishonest or selfish motive, see id. at 9.22(b); he engaged in a pattern of misconduct, see id. at 9.22(c); he engaged in multiple offenses, see id. at 9.22(d), and he engaged in bad faith obstruction of the disciplinary proceedings by intentionally failing to comply with rules or orders of the disciplinary agency, see id. at 9.22(e). Moreover, Hambric has two prior instances of professional discipline, see id. at 9.22(a): he received two Letters of Admonition (LOA) in 1997. The first LOA arose from Hambric's violation of Colo. RPC 1.4(a) by failing to keep his client informed of the status of her bankruptcy matter; a violation of Colo. RPC 1.1 by agreeing to handle a bankruptcy case even though he was not competent in that area of law; and a violation of Colo. RPC 1.3 by failing to prepare and file the client's bankruptcy petition for over one year while assuring her that he would do so. In the second LOA, Hambric violated Colo. RPC 1.4(a) and (b) by failing to make reasonable efforts to respond to messages and calls from his client, and Colo. RPC 1.16(d) by failing to withdraw upon the client's request and unreasonably delaying the transfer of files to his client despite numerous requests. Disbarment is warranted in this case based upon the facts and violations in the Funcannon and Sandoval matters alone. Moreover, the misconduct in the other matters demonstrates a disturbing pattern involving neglect of client matters, failure to communicate with clients, mishandling of client funds (in the Apodaca matter), conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice and failure to respond inquiries from the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel to such a degree that either disbarment or a lengthy period of suspension would be required. Hambric's actions resulted in harm to the clients. In the Funcannon and Sandoval matters, Hambric knowingly converted the clients' funds and then abandoned them. In the Apodaca matter, the client was compelled to bring a small claims action against Hambric in order to recover her retainer. In the Proctor and Gilbert matters, Hambric's lack of communication ultimately necessitated a continuance of scheduled court proceedings and forced his clients to obtain new counsel. Based on the serious nature of the misconduct, and considering the aggravating factors, the PDJ and Hearing Board find that disbarment is required in the within matter.