Opinion ID: 1194925
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Potential or actual injury caused by the lawyer's misconduct.

Text: The accused's misconduct carried a great potential for injury to Lewis. That misconduct contributed to Lewis' death. ABA Standard 5.1 provides: Absent aggravating or mitigating circumstances, upon application of the factors set out in Standard 3.0, the following sanctions are generally appropriate in cases involving commission of a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects, or in cases with conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation: 5.11 Disbarment is generally appropriate when: (a) a lawyer engages in serious criminal conduct, a necessary element of which includes    the sale, distribution or importation of controlled substances;   ;      5.12 Suspension is generally appropriate when a lawyer knowingly engages in criminal conduct which does not contain the elements listed in Standard 5.11 and that seriously adversely reflects on the lawyer's fitness to practice. In the light of that standard and our conclusions under the three factors analyzed above, the accused's conduct warrants a suspension. To determine whether that sanction is appropriate in this case, and what length of suspension may be necessary to protect the public, we consider aggravating and mitigating factors.