Opinion ID: 2333746
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Basis of Punishment

Text: Stilley's second argument for reversal is that the Committee erred in imposing punishment for vague, undefined offenses for which there was no statutory or rule-based authorization, and for which this court had previously stated that no authority for punishment existed. Specifically, Stilley contends that the speech for which he was punished, the stricken seventy-page brief, could not be a basis for his punishment because: (1) pursuant to Perryman v. Hackler, 323 Ark. 500, 916 S.W.2d 105 (1996), an attorney can only be sanctioned for disrespectful comments made in a brief when they are directed at the trial court; (2) it was a privileged communication under Arkansas law; and (3) even if his conduct was prohibited, he was entitled to clear rules and notice that his speech could form the basis for punishment. Arkansas Supreme Court Rule 1-5 states: No argument, brief, or motion filed or made in the Court shall contain language showing disrespect for the circuit court. This court repeatedly has expressed a displeasure with attorneys who have directed disrespectful language toward courts and officers of the court. See Ligon v. McCullough, 368 Ark. 598, 247 S.W.3d 868 (2007) (per curiam) (striking defendant's brief due to disrespectful and unnecessary language directed at the Executive Director of the Committee); Cox v. State, 365 Ark. 358, 229 S.W.3d 883 (2006) (striking a sentence from the appellant's brief due to contemptuous and disrespectful language directed at the trial court); Davenport v. Lee, 349 Ark. 113, 115, 76 S.W.3d 265, 266 (2002) (per curiam) (holding that [j]ust as we will not allow a lawyer to show disrespect for the judges sitting in circuit courts, we will not allow an attorney to show disrespect for the members of this court); White II, 348 Ark. 783, 73 S.W.3d 572 (striking petitioner's brief seeking recusal of all the justices of this court based upon the petitioner's attorney's continued strident disrespectful language used in his pleadings, motions, and arguments, and his repeated refusal to recognize and adhere to precedent); Henry v. Eberhard, 309 Ark. 336, 832 S.W.2d 467 (1992) (striking portion of the appellant's brief containing offensive, inflammatory, and disrespectful language to the trial court); McLemore v. Elliot, 272 Ark. 306, 614 S.W.2d 226 (1981) (striking appellant's brief due to disrespectful and distasteful language directed at the trial judge). Furthermore, we have caution[ed] attorneys from filing motions containing irrelevant, disrespectful, and caustic remarks that only serve to vent a party's emotions such as anger or hostility. Ligon, 368 Ark. at 599, 247 S.W.3d at 869. It is clear from this case law that briefs containing disrespectful language directed not only at the trial court, but also disrespectful language toward courts and officers of the court is not tolerated. Simply put, this court expects the members of the bar to fulfill their professional responsibilities, while still maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct. Davenport, 349 Ark. at 115, 76 S.W.3d at 266. Moreover, in some instances, we have referred the offending attorney to the Committee because the matter implicated a breach of the Model Rules. See Ligon, 368 Ark. 598, 247 S.W.3d at 869; Davenport, 349 Ark. 113, 76 S.W.3d 265; White II, 348 Ark. 783, 73 S.W.3d 572. Additionally, and despite Stilley's argument to the contrary, there is not a contradiction in our case law between Perryman and the other disrespectful language cases. In Perryman , the appellee accused the appellants of libel regarding fruits of the crime statements made in their brief. Perryman, 323 Ark. at 505, 916 S.W.2d at 107. There, the appellee did not cite to any authority in support of his argument that this court could impose any sanctions on the appellants concerning the contents of their brief, and we held that the only authority to sanction comments in the brief were when those comments were directed at the trial court. It is clear that Perryman is completely distinguishable as it involved allegedly libelous language directed at an appellee, rather than at a court or an officer of the court. Thus, in this case, it was within this court's power to recommend Stilley to the Committee based upon his disrespectful language toward this court, and it was within the Committee's power to determine whether or not Stilley's conduct violated any of the Model Rules. Moreover, Stilley is incorrect in his assertion that the seventy-page brief was a privileged communication. To support this argument, Stilley relies upon Howard v. Ward, 238 Ark. 514, 383 S.W.2d 107 (1964), a case that involved the issues of libel and slander. There, we upheld as absolutely privileged certain language contained in a motion to dismiss that characterized as false and libelous letters written to the husband's commanding officer charging the husband with sex perversion and threatening prosecution for child abandonment. This is completely distinguishable from the present case. Here, Stilley was found to have violated four provisions of the Model Rules based upon language he used in a brief filed with this court that was disrespectful toward an Arkansas court of law. This is prohibited by our rules. See Ark. Sup.Ct. R. 1-5. Moreover, this rule has been repeatedly upheld to prohibit disrespectful language directed at both courts and officers of the court. Lastly, Stilley was not deprived of any notice whatsoever of the thing prohibited. Rather, Rule 1-5 and our case law gave him more than enough notice that his conduct was not allowed. Furthermore, the oath Stilley took when he received his attorney's license, and that is inscribed on that license, specifically states: I will exhibit, and I will seek to maintain in others, the respect due courts and judges. I will, to the best of my ability, abide by the Model Rules of Professional Conduct and any other standards of ethics proclaimed by the courts, and in doubtful cases I will attempt to abide by the spirit of those ethical rules and precepts of honor and fair play. Based upon the foregoing, it is clear that the Committee did not err in its decision to punish Stilley.