Opinion ID: 1910048
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: findings requested by bar counsel

Text: Bar Counsel asks that the Board find the following as uncontested but not expressly found by the Hearing Committee: 89. Immigrants often come from countries with corrupt governments in which a culture of lying both by and to state authorities is the norm. 3 Tr. at 157-58 (Maggio). It is not uncommon for immigration clients to believe that the United States Government operates in similar ways. Id. An attorney often must break down a culture of lying to the government and explain to his clients that it is not permissible to submit false evidence. Id. Brief in Support of Bar Counsel's Exception to the Report and Recommendation of the Ad Hoc Hearing Committee (BC Brief), at 26. We decline to adopt this finding. Although it may be uncontested, it also is nothing more than a general statement of the attitude of some unspecified persons who come from countries where the government is a collection of kleptomaniacs. 3 Tr. 158 (Maggio). There is no evidence that any of the African countries from which Respondent's clients came fit this description or that any of Respondent's clients believe that they do. Accordingly, the requested finding is of limited, if any, materiality, and we agree with the Hearing Committee's refusal to make the above finding, even though requested by Bar Counsel. See Bar Counsel's Proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Recommendation as to Sanction, filed on August 9, 2004, at 37. Bar Counsel also requests that the Board find the following as established by clear and convincing evidence, even though not found by the Hearing Committee: 90. When Owanate Davies had a hearing scheduled for October 7, 1998 and telephoned Respondent's office to ask him to prepare her, Respondent advised her that he had forgotten that they were to appear in court on October 7. BX 6E at 21; 2 Tr. at 120 (Davies-Brony). He then advised Owanate to see a physician to get a Notice of Illness on her part for him to present in Immigration Court in support of a contemplated request for a continuance, even though she was not ill. 2 Tr. at 120 (Davies-Brony). 91. Before Respondent could submit a false claim of illness, the Immigration Court rescheduled Owanate Davies's case to April 5, 1999, for administrative reasons. 2 Tr. at 120-21 (Davies-Brony). Respondent, however, categorically denied that he suggest[ed] to [Owanate Davies] to go get any doctor's report. 4 Tr. 132. He testified that he do[es] not even recall that being in [their] conversation. Id. We therefore decline to adopt this requested finding since our doing so would require that we make an assessment of credibility that the Hearing Committee appears to have made in rejecting the finding.