Opinion ID: 1176389
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Cooperation with Bar Inquiry Into Cobarrubia Complaint.

Text: The second cause of complaint concerns an inquiry carried out by the Bar in response to the complaint of the Cobarrubias and Kitta. On March 10, 1986, the office of the General Counsel of the Bar sent the accused a letter notifying him of the complaint against him and asking for a response by March 31, 1986. The accused never responded to this request. The Bar then referred the matter to the Benton/Lincoln/Polk County Local Professional Responsibility Committee (LPRC) for investigation. On April 15, 1986, an LPRC investigator wrote to the accused and asked that he respond to the Cobarrubia complaint. Again, there was no response. The investigator then subpoenaed the accused to appear at the Benton County Courthouse with the Cobarrubia file. The accused did comply with the subpoena. On the basis of these actions and omissions, the Bar charged the accused with violating DR 1-103(C). That rule provides: A lawyer who is the subject of a disciplinary investigation shall respond fully and truthfully to inquiries from and comply with reasonable requests of a tribunal or other authority empowered to investigate or act upon the conduct of lawyers, subject only to the exercise of any applicable right or privilege. On these facts, it is apparent that the accused did not respond fully to inquiries from Bar authorities empowered to investigate the Cobarrubia complaint. In fact, the accused never responded to the office of the General Counsel and responded to the LPRC only after being subpoenaed. The accused has not attempted to justify his omissions by resort to any claim of right or privilege. We therefore conclude that the accused has violated DR 1-103(C).