Opinion ID: 2318844
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Facts Concerning Respondent's Personal Circumstances

Text: 1. Respondent suffered numerous personal tragedies between mid-May and mid-June 1998. Among those tragedies were the deaths of his mother on 31 May 1998 and mother-in-law on 9 June 1998. While attending to these tragedies, Respondent was frequently out of the office and therefore unaware of his trial schedule. According to Respondent, his failure to appear for trial on 8 June 1998 was due to his attention to these personal matters. Respondent filed three exceptions to Judge Holland's findings of fact and conclusions of law. Respondent's first two exceptions related to Judge Holland's failure to make any findings of fact or conclusions of law concerning several defenses, raised in Respondent's Answer to Petition for Disciplinary Action, pertaining to the pre-petition proceedings. Respondent also excepted to Judge Holland's conclusion that he violated MRPC 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.16(a)(2), and 3.2 in both the Sims and Braswell matters and Rule 1.4(b) in the Sims matter. We find these exceptions to be without merit and overrule them. On the other hand, Petitioner excepts to Judge Holland's conclusion that Respondent did not violate MRPC 1.1 and 8.4(d). We sustain Petitioner's exceptions. [9] We address Respondent's exceptions below.