Opinion ID: 2394650
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Polk Matter

Text: Respondent took exception to the trial court's Conclusion of Law to the extent that the trial court concluded that any of the violations involve a wrongful intent and particularly any intent to harm or take advantage of a client. We address each violation and overrule Respondent's exceptions. Respondent excepts to Judge Jackson's conclusion that he violated MRPC 1.1, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.16(d) because his misrepresentation to Ms. Polk that he had filed the petition for the emergency hearing was a little white lie which did not harm Ms. Polk. Bar Counsel argues, conversely, that Respondent violated MRPC 1.1, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.16(d) by failing to file for the emergency custody hearing, by misrepresenting the status of the case to Ms. Polk and by failing to promptly return the $300 fee. MRPC 1.1 states in part: A lawyer shall provide competent representation to a client. MRPC 1.3 provides: A lawyer shall act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client. MRPC 1.4 iterates in part that a lawyer must: (2) keep the client reasonably informed about the status of the matter; [and] (3) promptly comply with reasonable requests for information. . . . In Attorney Grievance v. Steinberg, 395 Md. at 371, 910 A.2d at 449, we determined that Steinberg violated MRPC 1.1, 1.3 and 1.4 when he failed to file a Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition on behalf of his client, took no further action to protect his client's home in an impending foreclosure sale, and repeatedly lied to his client that he had filed the petition and that the home was safe from sale. Also, in Attorney Grievance v. Guida, 391 Md. at 43-54, 891 A.2d at 1091-97, this Court concluded that Guida violated MRPC 1.1, 1.3 and 1.4 when he failed to prepare and proceed with an adoption case, and lied to his clients, misrepresenting that he had filed the case. In the present case, Ms. Polk paid Respondent $300 to seek an emergency hearing for the custody of her grandson, who had been living with her for several years, after the biological mother wanted the child returned to her. Respondent, however, failed to file an emergency petition. Ms. Polk called Respondent to determine the status of the matter, and Respondent lied to her that he had in fact filed the petition and only fessed up when Ms. Polk contacted Respondent again. We agree with Judge Jackson that Respondent violated MRPC 1.1, 1.3 and 1.4, and therefore we overrule Respondent's exceptions. Respondent also violated MRPC 1.16(d), which iterates that [u]pon termination of representation, a lawyer shall . . . refund any advance payment of fee or expense that has not been earned or incurred, by failing to return the $300 retainer promptly. As we have already discussed herein, the failure to promptly return an unearned fee advanced by a client constitutes a violation of MRPC 1.16(d), and we overrule Respondent's exception in this regard. Respondent also excepts to Judge Jackson's conclusion that he violated MRPC 8.4(d) to the extent that the trial court concluded that [the violation] involve[s] a wrongful intent and particularly any intent to harm or take advantage of a client. Respondent contends that he did not violate MRPC 8.4(d) because he did not intend to harm Ms. Polk, but rather that he merely forgot to file the motion for an emergency custody hearing after he had misrepresented that he had. Conversely, Bar Counsel argues that Respondent violated MRPC 8.4(d) because he knowingly lied to Ms. Polk about the status of her case. MRPC 8.4(d) provides that it is professional misconduct for an attorney to: (d) engage in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. . . . In Attorney Grievance v. Reinhardt, 391 Md. 209, 892 A.2d 533 (2006), Reinhardt told his client he was working on her case, when in fact, he had lost the file. After concluding that the attorney did act dishonestly and did misrepresent to his client, we noted that the attorney violated MRPC 8.4(d) because it goes without saying that a lawyer should not lie to the client about the status of the client's case: Behavior that may seriously impair public confidence in the entire profession, without extenuating circumstances, may be conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. An attorney's material misrepresentation to the client, his failure to act on the client's case for over three years and failure to expedite litigation, to the client's detriment, is conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. Failure to represent a client in an adequate manner and lying to a client constitute a violation of Rule 8.4(d). Id. at 222-25, 892 A.2d at 540-42 (citations omitted). See also Attorney Grievance v. Guida, 391 Md. at 43, 891 A.2d at 1091 (attorney violated MRPC 8.4(d) when he lied to the clients, misrepresenting that he had filed an adoption case). Moreover, in Attorney Grievance v. Tinsky, 377 Md. at 652-53, 835 A.2d at 545-46, we agreed with the hearing judge that Tinsky violated MRPC 8.4(d) in connection with his representation of a client in a bankruptcy case, because he failed to take any effective action on behalf of the client, accepted $925 for his representation, and failed to refund the fees. See also Milliken, 348 Md. at 510, 704 A.2d at 1236 (attorney violated MRPC 8.4(d) when he failed to refund a fee he had not earned). Although Respondent in the present case alleges that he did not engage in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice because he did not intend to injure Ms. Polk, it is difficult to conceive of conduct that could be more prejudicial than failing to file an emergency petition for a custody hearing on behalf of a caregiver, who believes she is acting in a child's best interest. We, therefore, agree with the hearing judge that Respondent violated MRPC 8.4(d) in the Polk matter and overrule Respondent's exception.