Opinion ID: 2191641
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 30

Heading: Legal effect of counseling violation of a court decree

Text: It will be recalled that DR 7-102(A)(7) states that in his representation of a client a lawyer shall not counsel or assist his client in conduct which the lawyer knows to be illegal. This is the principal disciplinary rule which Kerpelman was found by the trial judge to have violated when he gave advice relative to the child. Canon 7, to which this disciplinary rule is applicable, states that a lawyer should represent a client zealously within the bounds of the law. Kerpelman at oral argument before us opened with a reference to the oath of an attorney when admitted to practice in this Court, focusing on that portion of Code (1957) Art. 10, § 10 in which an attorney says: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that ... I will bear true allegience to the United States, and that I will support, protect and defend the Constitution, laws and government thereof as the supreme law of the land; any law or ordinance of this or any State to the contrary notwithstanding. He then said: An attorney is to make a judgment as to what rules, ordinances and statutes are unconstitutional and by his Maryland oath of office set forth by the Maryland Legislature, he is to place his opinion of the Constitution above the rules of this Court or an ordinance or statute. He argued that pursuant to his oath it would be permissible for an attorney to advise a client to violate a court order he deemed constitutionally invalid. The conventional wisdom of the courts and the legal profession has been that a lawyer may not advise his client to violate a law or court order, except in the instance of a test case where there is a good faith belief that the statute or order may be invalid. See, e.g., EC 7-1; EC 7-2; EC 7-3; EC 7-5; EC 7-22; former Canon 16; former Canon 32; A.B.A. Project on Standards for Criminal Justice, Standards Relating to the Defense Function § 3.7 (approved draft 1971); Cowen, The Lawyer's Role in Civil Disobedience, 47 N.C.L. Rev. 587, 592-93 (1969); H. Drinker, Legal Ethics, 150, 152 (1953); Maness v. Meyers, 419 U.S. 449, 458-60, 468, 95 S.Ct. 584, 42 L.Ed.2d 574 (1975); Chapman v. Pacific Tel. & Tel. Co., 613 F.2d 193, 197 (9th Cir.1979); In re Grand Jury Proceeding, 601 F.2d 162, 169 (5th Cir.1979); United States v. Dickinson, 465 F.2d 496, 512 (5th Cir.1972); Odell v. Bausch & Lomb Optical Co., 91 F.2d 359 (7th Cir.1937); Snyder v. State Bar, 18 Cal.3d 286, 133 Cal. Rptr. 864, 555 P.2d 1104 (1976); In re Mekler, 406 A.2d 20 (Del. 1979); Committee on Professional Ethics, Etc. v. Crary, 245 N.W.2d 298, 307 (Iowa 1976); In re Marietta, 223 Kan. 11, 569 P.2d 921 (1977); In re Daly, 291 Minn. 488, 489, 495, 189 N.W.2d 176 (1971); In Matter of Johnson, 597 P.2d 740 (Mont. 1979); In re Cooley, 95 N.J. Eq. 485, 490, 125 A. 486 (1924), aff'd 103 N.J. Eq. 377, 143 A. 916 (1928); In re Hittson, 20 N.M. 319, 325, 326, 150 P. 733 (1915); Territory v. Clancy, 7 N.M. 580, 37 P. 1108 (1894); In re Apfel, 202 App. Div. 76, 195 N.Y.S. 325, 328 (1922); In re Clostermann, 276 Or. 261, 263, 554 P.2d 467 (1976); and Ex parte Miller, 37 Or. 304, 60 P. 999 (1900). In this instance Kerpelman has not articulated an argument that the decree was constitutionally infirm. In fact, there is not the slightest suggestion of any infirmity in the Draper custody decree. This was no test case nor did the custody order compel the surrender of any constitutional right. As to Kerpelman's argument that he did not commit the act alleged, we point out that Judge Levin said: I find as a fact that in August, 1976, Respondent did suggest to his client, in flat violation of the Decree, that he (Draper) physically take the child from the Syracuse residence where she was living with her mother; that it was Respondent's and not Draper's suggestion; that Respondent told Draper to not make it look like a breaking and entering but just to get the child; that if it was successful, we might get a faster response from the court and it would show good concern on Draper's part; and that Respondent told Draper not to say anything to anybody about it. I find further that the idea of taking [Marlene's estranged husband] and the two men was Draper's, not Respondent's (but that Draper's idea emanated directly from Respondent's suggestion that Draper not break in. Thus Draper took Marlene's estranged husband to trick her into opening the door).    Respondent is obliged to admit that he advised any number of his clients to perform child snatches, yet he tried to expiate his admission by saying he only meant legal child snatches. By legal, he says he means taking your child before there is a court order. He acknowledges, however, he made an unfortunate choice of words and he further acknowledges that he is not saying that it (child snatch) cannot cover an illegal one. His explanation is fanciful and absurd. He is hoist by his own petard. It is interesting to note that when Draper testified at the March 23, 1977 hearing as to why he snatched the child, he testified that he went on Respondent's advice. Thus Draper's exact same version was given before Judge Beardmore [in the child custody hearing in the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County] a time when there was no complaint by him against Respondent, the same version was given before the Inquiry Panel; and the same version was given in instant case. Draper's testimony is entirely consistent and credible as opposed to the testimony of Respondent  testimony which is riddled with self-contradiction, inconsistency and illogic. [(Emphasis in original.)] We have already held that there was clear and convincing evidence to support these findings. The courts were open for a petition for a change of custody, as Kerpelman well knew, having prepared such a petition. If people are permitted to pick and choose which orders of court they propose to obey, our legal system will soon disintegrate and our government of laws will be replaced by anarchy. We conclude, therefore, that Kerpelman's conduct in the matter of the child amounted to a violation of DR 1-102(A)(4) (a lawyer shall not engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation), DR 1-102(A)(5) (a lawyer shall not engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice), DR 1-102(A)(6) (a lawyer shall not engage in any other conduct that adversely reflects on his fitness to practice law), DR 7-102(A)(7) (a lawyer shall not counsel conduct which he knows to be illegal) and DR 7-106(A) (a lawyer shall not advise a client to disregard a ruling of a tribunal made in the course of a proceeding), as well as DR 1-102(A)(1) (a lawyer shall not violate a disciplinary rule).