Opinion ID: 1862573
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Lopatin

Text: This case arises from respondent's allegedly improper contact with Court of Appeals Judges S. Jerome Bronson and Richard M. Maher. The AGC filed a formal complaint in September 1992, alleging misconduct involving (1) respondent's gifts to, and services for, Judge Maher and the failure to disclose those gifts and services (count I); (2) respondent's contact with Judge Maher regarding pending cases in which respondent did not represent a party (count II); (3) respondent's ex parte contact with Judge Bronson in the matter of Luszczynski v. Henry Ford Hosp., Court of Appeals No. 84686 (count III); (4) respondent's boasting of his influence with Court of Appeals judges (count IV); and (5) respondent's attempt to persuade attorney Sue Radulovich to represent his secretary during a grand jury investigation into his conduct involving Judge Bronson in an attempt to obtain information regarding the secret proceedings (count V). A hearing panel presided over a misconduct hearing during late 1994 and early 1995. [14] The panel orally advised the parties of its decision in February 1995, and issued a written report on June 7, 1995. Regarding count I, the panel determined that respondent violated DR 7-110(A) [15] by giving or lending items or services of value to Judge Maher. It found, however, that respondent did not make the gifts to influence Judge Maher's decisions in cases important to respondent's law firm. The panel further determined that respondent violated DR 1-102(A)(5) [16] and MCR 9.104(1) [17] by failing to disclose to opposing counsel in a case pending in the Court of Appeals his law firm's representation of Judge Maher and Judge Maher's daughter in an unrelated personal injury suit. Finally, the panel found that respondent violated DR 1-102(A)(1), (5), and (6), [18] DR 7-110(B), [19] and MCR 9.104(1)-(4) [20] by causing a copy of a memorandum prepared by an associate for the case of Luszczynski v. Henry Ford Hosp. to be sent to Judge Bronson without notice to opposing counsel and the other judges on the panel. [21] The panel rejected the remaining allegations in the complaint. Considering the nature of the misconduct and some of the aggravating and mitigating factors identified in the ABA standards, the hearing panel reprimanded respondent for the misconduct. Respondent and the Grievance Administrator petitioned the ADB for review of the hearing panel decision. In February 1996, the ADB modified the hearing panel's first finding of misconduct, reversed the second finding, and affirmed the third finding. Regarding the panel's first finding, the ADB affirmed the panel's determination that respondent's renting of his Florida condominium to Judge Maher at a reduced rate constituted an improper gift. The ADB agreed with the hearing panel that a reprimand was the appropriate discipline for the misconduct. The Grievance Administrator applied for leave to appeal to this Court. Petitioner applied for leave to appeal as cross-appellant. In lieu of granting the applications, we remanded to the hearing panel for (1) findings regarding the credibility of three witnesses, (2) resolution of count II of the formal complaint, (3) a finding whether Judge Bronson, in open court, directed respondent to deliver the memo and to deliver it without serving opposing counsel or filing it with the clerk, (4) an explanation of the panel's finding that respondent did not intend to influence Judge Maher's decisions, (5) reconsideration of any findings affected by evidence of attorney Radulovich's prior consistent statements, which the panel erroneously excluded. We further advised that the panel could exercise its discretion to reopen proofs if it determined that the improperly excluded evidence would be decisive. We also directed the panel to consider whether any changed findings would affect the level of discipline. On remand, the hearing panel found that attorney Radulovich was the least credible of the three major witnesses (Radulovich, respondent, and Judge Maher). It therefore declined to base a finding of misconduct on her uncorroborated testimony. The panel, in contrast, found that respondent was fairly credible, except for his testimony regarding Judge Bronson's statements during oral argument. The panel further found Judge Maher credible. The hearing panel also expanded on its findings regarding respondent's gifts to Judge Maher. It found that respondent did not intend to influence, directly or indirectly, Judge Maher's decisions by giving him gifts. The panel further determined that petitioner failed to prove the allegations in count II. Finally, the panel expanded on its findings regarding respondent's ex parte communication with Judge Bronson. The panel rejected respondent's testimony that Judge Bronson stated from the bench that respondent could serve the memo on him alone and he would forward it to the other judges and parties. It found that respondent's testimony was incredible on its face, was inconsistent with his associate's memo and her testimony, clashed with Judge Gribbs' testimony, and conflicted with his firm's established filing procedures. The panel further observed that the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, Ronald Dzierbicki, essentially testified that he would have heard if Judge Bronson had made the statement because it would have been unusual. The panel found that, even if Judge Bronson occasionally directed counsel to send briefs to him, he would not have agreed to serve the brief on opposing counsel. The panel further noted that its finding that an ex parte communication had occurred was supported by respondent's admission that he was following his instructions, what he said at oral argument. The panel also reiterated its dismissal of the remaining two counts in the complaint. [22] The panel concluded that its additional findings regarding the ex parte communication justified a different sanction a suspension for forty-five days. Respondent subsequently moved for this Court to strike the section of the hearing panel report that addressed the level of discipline. He also requested a stay of the panel's order. In a December 9, 1997, order, we denied petitioner's application for leave to appeal because we were not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this Court. In lieu of granting either respondent's application for leave to appeal or motion to strike, we remanded the case to the ADB for consideration of respondent's arguments regarding the increased discipline, except for his argument that hearing panel action exceeded the scope of the remand order. We denied respondent's application and motion in all other respects. We also stayed imposition of discipline until further order of the ADB. On remand, the ADB affirmed the hearing panel's additional findings. It determined, however, that this Court's dismissal of the Grievance Administrator's application for leave to appeal precluded it from suspending respondent for more than forty-five days. The ADB concluded that a reprimand was the appropriate sanction for respondent's misconduct. Two ADB members dissented, explaining that they would have affirmed the hearing panel. We granted the Grievance Administrator's application for leave to appeal. 461 Mich. 1207, 603 N.W.2d 779 (1999).
The Grievance Administrator's challenge involves the ADB finding of misconduct on the basis of respondent's ex parte contact with Judge Bronson. We ordinarily review hearing panel and ADB findings to determine whether proper evidentiary support exists on the whole record to support the findings. In re Grimes, 414 Mich. 483, 490, 326 N.W.2d 380 (1982); State Bar Grievance Administrator v. McWhorter (On Rehearing), 407 Mich. 278, 291, 284 N.W.2d 472 (1979). Neither the Grievance Administrator nor respondent challenges the finding of misconduct by the hearing panel as adopted by the ADB. We conclude nonetheless that ample evidence supports the ADB finding that respondent violated DR 1-102(A)(1), (5), and (6), DR 7-110(B), and MCR 9.104(1)-(4) by engaging in improper ex parte contact with Judge Bronson. We further conclude that the ADB erred as a matter of law when, in determining the appropriate sanction for the misconduct, it concluded that our prior order denying the Grievance Administrator's application for leave to appeal precluded a suspension of longer than forty-five days. In light of that error, and because the ADB acted without the benefit of our guidance regarding use of the ABA Standards, we remand this case to the ADB for reconsideration of the appropriate discipline for respondent's misconduct.
In its initial decision, the hearing panel reprimanded respondent for the misconduct. It explained: [T]he panel is also persuaded that, while in all instances, ex-parte communication must be avoided, that in this instance respondent should be reprimanded only, for the following reasons. First, testimony indicates (and it is not rebutted) that the memorandum submitted to Judge Bronson discussed the two cases that had been presented on the oral record.... Respondent testified that he brought new, pertinent Supreme Court cases to the panel's attention at oral argument and presumably in the presence of opposing counsel. Further, the memorandum could not have had an impact on Judges Gribbs and Clements since they had not seen the memorandum and they had taken positions on the case before the memorandum was delivered to Judge Bronson. The panel is also troubled by the remoteness of the incident complained of by the Grievance Administrator and the dearth of hard evidence, i.e. a transcript to implicate respondent. The panel comes to its conclusion of ex-parte communication by virtue of circumstantial evidence. Still, the panel believed that ex-parte communication is not a trivial matter and though no new information was imparted to Judge Bronson, such an occurrence is harmful to the integrity of the judicial process. The panel, in imposing a reprimand, also considered respondent's previously unblemished record over a long and distinguished career.