Opinion ID: 1922235
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Respondent's Representation of Samuel Godwin

Text: On December 30, 1998, the Respondent entered his appearance as attorney for the defendant in the criminal case of State of Maryland v. Samuel Godwin, Case No. 98 CR 2964 in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County. Mr. Godwin was charged with second degree rape. By agreement of counsel following the Respondent's appearance, trial in the Godwin case was rescheduled for Monday, February 8, 1999. On the morning of trial, the Respondent approached James Gentry, Jr., the Assistant State's Attorney handling the case, about postponing the trial. The Respondent commented to Mr. Gentry that he needed to come up with a reason to postpone the case. Mr. Gentry told the Respondent he would oppose any request for a postponement. The Respondent later informed Mr. Gentry that he needed the postponement because he was in a continuing trial before Judge John Prevas in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and that he needed to be in that court at 10:45 that morning. The Respondent and Mr. Gentry then went before Judge Thomas Bollinger for a hearing on the Respondent's request for a postponement. During that hearing, the Respondent stated two reasons for his request, the first being the absence of a defense witness who had not been subpoenaed by the Respondent. The other reason stated by the Respondent was that he had been instructed to report to Judge Prevas's courtroom at 10:45 to start a trial that had been carried over from the previous week in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Based on the Respondent's representation, Judge Bollinger released the Respondent to go to Baltimore City with instructions to return if the Baltimore City case did not start by 2:00 p.m. Following the hearing on February 8, 1999, Mr. Gentry contacted Judge Prevas's chambers and determined that the Respondent had not been instructed to report to Judge Prevas's courtroom at 10:45. After that information was conveyed to Judge Bollinger, Judge Bollinger personally contacted Judge Prevas and confirmed that the Respondent was not involved in a trial before Judge Prevas. The Respondent's misrepresentation to Judge Bollinger ultimately caused the case of State v. Samuel Godwin to be postponed. At the request of Judge Bollinger, the State's Attorney for Baltimore County instituted a proceeding for constructive criminal contempt pursuant to Maryland Rule 15-205(b) by filing a Petition for Criminal Contempt against the Respondent. That action was based on the Respondent's misrepresentation to the court in seeking a continuance of the Godwin trial. The criminal contempt case was docketed as State of Maryland v. Michael Middleton, Case No. 99 CR 0648 in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County. On November 18, 1999, the Respondent entered an Alford plea to the charge of criminal contempt. On January 19, 2000, Judge James T. Smith, Jr. of the Circuit Court for Baltimore County sentenced the Respondent to a term of 18 months in the Department of Correction. The court suspended the sentence and placed the Respondent on supervised probation for a period of three years, subject to the following conditions: 1. The Respondent is to complete any treatment for alcohol or CDS recommended by the Division of Parole and Probation (Probation) and the Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime (T.A.S.C.) program, including but not limited to a treatment program at Epoch Counseling Center; 2. The Respondent is to attend a minimum of 4 Narcotics Anonymous and/or Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week unless modified by Probation or T.A.S.C.; 3. The Respondent agrees to `surrender' his license to practice law for one year beginning January 20,2000. [4] Pursuant to Maryland Rule 16-710e, the Respondent's conviction in the criminal contempt case is conclusive proof of his guilt of criminal contempt. The Court concludes that the Respondent, by his acts and omissions while representing Samuel Godwin, and specifically by his misrepresentations to the prosecutor and to Judge Bollinger in seeking a continuance, engaged in misconduct as defined in Maryland Rule 16-701 k and that he violated Rules 1.3, 3.3(a)(1) [5] and 8.4(c) [6] & (d) of the Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct.