Opinion ID: 1305511
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Rickabaugh's Challenge to the Findings.

Text: Rickabaugh claims his anemia prevented him from conducting the discovery necessary to acquire evidence supporting his claim that he created the fictitious documents to prevent Davis from committing domestic violence. He also asserts his condition rendered him unable to defend himself against the charges. We reject these claims. Rickabaugh raised the issue of his anemia before the Nebraska referee, and testified at length at the hearing, without seeking breaks or other respite. He failed to file an exception to the referee's report, and did not assert his anemia defense again before the Nebraska Supreme Court. We will not now allow him to conduct his discovery and retry his case anew in our court. There is no evidence his anemia was so debilitating as to rise to the level of a due process deprivation. See Iowa Ct. R. 35.18(3) (a). Rickabaugh's actions in accepting a legal matter which he was not competent to handle, neglecting a client's legal matter, and misrepresenting the status of an action and creating fictitious pleadings, including a forged judge's signature, constituted clear violations of comparable provisions of our disciplinary rules. We therefore turn to his claims regarding the appropriateness of the sanction.