Opinion ID: 2330352
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Misconduct Established in the Virginia Proceedings

Text: The misconduct found in the Virginia disciplinary proceedings arose in connection with Respondent's legal representation of Joyce Spangler in an employment discrimination suit against Colonial Ophthalmology in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Newport News Division. Respondent filed the suit on September 5, 2002. On September 27, Ray Hogge, a lawyer who had been retained by Colonial to defend the suit, left a voice mail message for Respondent with his name, his client's name, and his telephone number. Three days later, Hogge wrote Respondent a letter confirming his representation of Colonial and offering to waive service of process. A little over a month later, on November 4, 2002, Hogge left another voice mail message for Respondent, this time requesting that Respondent agree to an extension of time for defendant's response to the complaint and asking if there was a settlement demand. Respondent replied to none of those communications, but on November 7, 2002, he moved for a default judgment against Colonial. Eleven days later, on November 18, 2002, Respondent appeared before the court on his motion, without notifying either Hogge or Colonial. He had certified in his motion that [a] copy has not been sent to opposing counsel because no attorney has entered an appearance in this case. At the start of the November 18 hearing, the court questioned Respondent regarding his contact with any counsel for Colonial or his knowledge of any representation. Respondent answered that he had received two voice mail messages from a lawyer regarding the case, but that he did not know who the person was. He told the court that the last call was about four weeks before the hearing. The court entered a default judgment against Colonial on December 18, 2002, awarding damages, attorney's fees and costs totaling $37,639.82. Five days later, Hogge faxed Respondent requesting him to sign an agreed order setting aside the default judgment. Respondent refused to sign the proposed order, and Colonial filed a motion for relief from default judgment. The court set the matter for hearing on May 21, 2003, but Respondent failed to appear. [6] The court then issued a show cause order for Respondent to appear on July 2, 2003, and on August 13, 2003, the court entered an order vacating the default judgment, indefinitely suspending Respondent from practice before the court and ordering him to pay a sanction of $5,000. The court found that Respondent had made material misrepresentations to the Court. Respondent failed to pay the sanction. The court therefore issued a show cause order, on which a hearing was held on March 10, 2004 before District Judge Robert G. Doumar. Respondent was held in contempt for his conduct during that hearing, which included telling the judge, you need to perhaps go to anger management classes. [7] The Virginia Board found, as a mitigating factor, that Respondent, during the relevant period, was suffering from an impairment which affected both his judgment and his ability to understand the significance of the proceedings. The Virginia Board further found that Respondent is now controlling his disability through changes in his lifestyle and appropriate professional treatment. The Virginia Board's order also observed that [t]he parties . . . note that Respondent ha[d] served a two year suspension from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.