Opinion ID: 1119876
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: 4b Aggravating circumstances.

Text: The accused has a long history of disciplinary offenses. He was reprimanded for conflict of interest in 1971, admonished for neglect of a legal matter in 1982, admonished for a conflict of interest concerning a closed file in 1983, admonished for yet another matter in 1986, and suspended from the practice of law for 63 days in 1986 for failure to render an accounting or return funds to a client and failure to cooperate with the Bar. In re Hedrick, 301 Or. 750, 725 P.2d 343 (1986). The facts as we have found them in the present case are particularly disturbing. The accused offered a will for probate that he knew should not be offered in such manner and engaged in a course of conduct that he hoped would keep the appropriate will from ever being offered. He even contacted a represented party directly in an effort to secure control over estate assets. We conclude that the accused's conduct warrants a two-year period of suspension. Such a sanction is consistent both with the ABA Standards and with case law. See In re Recker, supra (neglect of two matters entrusted to accused, together with making false statement to trial court, justified two-year suspension); In re Brown, 298 Or. 285, 692 P.2d 107 (1984) (lawyer who violated three separate disciplinary rules also prepared and had his client sign a false affidavit in connection with Bar investigation; two-year suspension ordered). The accused is suspended from the practice of law for a period of two years commencing on the effective date of this decision. The Oregon State Bar is awarded its actual and necessary costs and disbursements. ORS 9.536(4).