Opinion ID: 2060867
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Rice v. Lefebvre litigation

Text: [¶ 6] For several years, Lefebvre has been embroiled in a boundary dispute with his neighbor, June Rice, and her late husband Dr. Robert Rice. Mrs. Rice brought an action for trespass and damage to her property against Lefebvre in the Superior Court. Following a nonjury trial, the court ( Fritzsche, J. ) found that Lefebvre had intentionally trespassed on Rice's land, damaged her fence, and harassed her. In August, 1993, the court entered judgment for Rice, awarded treble damages and attorney fees, and assessed punitive damages as a result of Lefebvre's very malicious conduct. [2] [¶ 7] Attorney S. James Levis represented the Rices in the protracted litigation with Lefebvre. In a May 1, 1995 letter to a local attorney, Lefebvre accused Levis of stalking him and concluded that there is a developing law theory which can be called legal stalking based on Mr. Levis' conti[n]uing representation of [the Rices]. Lefebvre sent copies of the letter to Governor King, Attorney General Ketterer, several members of the Maine Senate, the mayor of Biddeford, and the Biddeford building inspector. Lefebvre also wrote a letter to Attorney General Ketterer, dated June 21, 1995, stating: It has been suggested that the Punishment Order of Justice Fritzsche bears the marks of a pay off. The Order is primarily a payment to the opposing attorney, James Levis, Jr. Esq. whose law firm represented both, the Plaintiff Rice and the City of Biddeford, and does not cite constitutional or case law. . . . The matter of the financial punishment should be investigated and reverse[d] as in the best interest of all Maine citizens. Levis obtained a copy of Lefebvre's May 1, 1995 letter and forwarded it to the Board. [¶ 8] Pursuant to M. Bar R. 7.1(e), a panel of the Grievance Commission held a public disciplinary proceeding concerning Lefebvre's conduct. Pursuant to Rule 7.2(b)(7), the Grievance Commission authorized Bar Counsel to file a disciplinary information. The first count of the information, relating to Lefebvre's representation of Muriel Crocker, alleged that Lefebvre violated Maine Bar Rules 3.1(a) [3] ; 3.2(f)(2), (3), and (4) [4] ; 3.3(a) [5] ; 3.4(f)(2)(ii) [6] ; and 3.6(a)(3). [7] The second count, relating to the Rice litigation and the accusations against Justice Fritzsche and Attorney Levis, alleged that Lefebvre violated Maine Bar Rules 3.1(a); 3.2(c)(2), (e)(1), and (f)(4) [8] ; and 3.7(a). [9] [¶ 9] The parties stipulated to the following issues for litigation: (1) whether Lefebvre charged Muriel Crocker an excessive fee and whether his accounting was inaccurate; (2) whether Lefebvre purchased a safe from an estate that he represented; (3) whether Lefebvre took legally unreasonable positions and filed frivolous appeals in Rice v. Lefebvre ; (4) whether Lefebvre observed allegedly unethical behavior by Attorney Levis, but did not report it to the Board; (5) whether Lefebvre accused Justice Fritzsche and Attorney Levis of conspiring and participating in a bribery scheme. Not included in the stipulation were the discrete issues of whether Lefebvre had good moral character or had engaged in turbulent, intemperate, or irresponsible behavior. [¶ 10] Following a hearing, the court concluded, with respect to count I, that Lefebvre had violated Maine Bar Rules 3.3(a), 3.4(f)(2)(ii), and 3.6(e)(2)(iii) [10] and had conducted himself in a manner unworthy of an attorney. With respect to count II, the court found that Lefebvre's May 1 and June 21, 1995 letters were intemperate, irresponsible and manifested a lack of the good moral character necessary for the practice of law. See 4 M.R.S.A. § 805-A (1989 & Supp.1997); Sanborn v. Kimball, 64 Me. 140 (1875). The court did not conclude that Lefebvre had violated any of the Bar Rules cited in count II of the information. This appeal followed. See M. Bar R. 7.2(b)(5).