Opinion ID: 1384769
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The 1978 Public Reproval

Text: In April 1974, petitioner agreed to defend Charlotte N. in a criminal prosecution. Petitioner advised his client that he would appear on her behalf at a pretrial conference scheduled for May 1, 1974, and that she need not attend. Petitioner did not appear at the conference, and the court issued a bench warrant for Charlotte N.'s arrest. Two weeks later petitioner met with her in his office and clearly implied that he had appeared at the pretrial conference. After the meeting she repeatedly attempted to contact petitioner, but he did not return her telephone calls. She never spoke with him again. In March 1974, petitioner agreed to represent Elsie S. Andersen in a dispute with the General Motors Corporation. Andersen subsequently paid petitioner $500 for his legal services. Andersen repeatedly attempted to contact petitioner thereafter, but received no response. Petitioner performed no legal services and retained the $500 paid to him for representation. The hearing panel determined that in both the Charlotte N. and Andersen matters petitioner had willfully failed to perform legal services for which he was retained, and had intentionally abandoned his client. On April 7, 1978, the Disciplinary Board of the State Bar publicly reproved petitioner for his professional misconduct.