Opinion ID: 1227779
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Marion John Philippus

Text: The respondent was retained by Dr. Marion John Philippus to prosecute a claim against the United States Department of Health and Human Services to maintain Dr. Philippus's veteran's preference in the face of an impending reduction in force. Dr. Philippus paid the respondent a substantial fee, but the respondent again neglected the legal matter entrusted to him. In addition, the respondent breached his ethical obligations to his client and to the bar by fabricating documents to justify his conduct. See People v. Klein, 179 Colo. 408, 500 P.2d 1181 (1972). Dr. Philippus received a reduction in force notice and filed a grievance with the Department of Health and Human Services because of the denial of his veteran's preference. The American Federation of Government Employees Union initiated a class action grievance on behalf of all employees adversely affected by the reduction in force, and on January 4, 1982, Dr. Philippus was notified that he was among those included in the reduction in force. In January 1982, Dr. Philippus was placed with the Social Security Administration at a greatly reduced salary and with a demotion in grade. In February 1982, Dr. Philippus initiated another grievance with the Department of Health and Human Services alleging that his termination was the result of prohibited discrimination by his supervisor. In April 1982, the respondent learned that the discrimination complaint would not be processed by the Department of Health and Human Services because of the pending union grievance. In June 1982, Dr. Philippus asked the respondent to file a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain three documents. The respondent agreed to file the action, and later told Dr. Philippus that he had filed the action. No such action was filed. Despite frequent requests by Dr. Philippus, the respondent failed to provide a copy of the access request. The respondent did, in August 1982, file suit against one of Dr. Philippus's supervisors, alleging defamation of Dr. Philippus, but the respondent admits that he never intended to serve the defamation complaint and intended to redraft it at a later time. At the time the complaint was filed, he prepared handwritten summonses but never effected service. The respondent totally failed to prosecute the case. Dr. Philippus learned in August that the union grievance would be closed, and asked the respondent to proceed with suit on his veteran's preference. Respondent learned that there was a thirty-day time limit for filing the suit and advised Dr. Philippus that he would immediately file suit. When Dr. Philippus discovered that neither the defamation suit nor the veteran's preference suit had been filed, Dr. Philippus sent the respondent a letter discharging him and requesting an accounting. No accounting was provided, and respondent did not deliver the file to new counsel until two weeks after the request was made and four days after the deadline specified for the filing of the veteran's preference suit. An order was issued to show cause why the defamation case should not be dismissed for failure to prosecute, and the respondent took no action until two days before the deadline for a response. The respondent sent a copy of the order to new counsel and included with it an unsigned letter under an earlier date that purportedly included the order to show cause. New counsel did not receive the purported first letter and did not know of the response deadline until he received the second letter one day after the deadline expired. The hearing board found by clear and convincing evidence that the respondent violated C.R.C.P. 241.6(1) and (3) because of respondent's violations of the disciplinary rules and his failure to comply with the highest standards of honesty, justice, and morality. The respondent's conduct violated DR 1-102(A)(1) (violation of a disciplinary rule), DR 1-102(A)(4) (engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation), and DR 6-101(A)(3) (neglect of a legal matter entrusted to him). [3]