Opinion ID: 1699960
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Failure to Respond to the Committee's Inquiries.

Text: Gardalen ignored two letters from the committee requesting a response to Burns' complaint concerning the two lawsuits. Although he admitted receiving the letters, Gardalen could give no reasons for not responding other than he developed some sort of mental block toward this case. Since we first said so in Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Horn, 379 N.W.2d 6, 7-9 (Iowa 1985), we have repeatedly held that a lawyer commits a separate ethical violation when the lawyer ignores the committee's request for a reply to its disciplinary complaint. See, e.g., Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Miller, 412 N.W.2d 622, 624 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Rosene, 412 N.W.2d 634, 637 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Paulos, 410 N.W.2d 260, 261 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Larsen, 407 N.W.2d 601, 602 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Sytsma, 405 N.W.2d 844, 844, 846 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Piazza, 405 N.W.2d 820, 823 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Johnson, 404 N.W.2d 184, 186 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Burrows, 402 N.W.2d 749, 752 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Megan, 402 N.W.2d 432, 434 (Iowa 1987); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Stienstra, 395 N.W.2d 638, 640 (Iowa 1986); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Free, 394 N.W.2d 373, 374 (Iowa 1986); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Stienstra, 390 N.W.2d 135, 137 (Iowa 1986); Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Bromwell, 389 N.W.2d 854, 857 (Iowa 1986). Because a lawyer's cooperation with the committee's investigative requests is so important to the integrity of the investigative process as well as to the public's confidence in our profession, we recognize that any failure to cooperate with the committee should be met with severe sanctions. Horn, 379 N.W.2d at 9. By the same token, in meting out discipline, we have given much weight to a lawyer's voluntary cooperation. See, e.g., Committee on Professional Ethics & Conduct v. Cook, 409 N.W.2d 469, 471 (Iowa 1987) (period of suspension substantially reduced because of lawyer's voluntary disclosure that he failed to file tax returns in timely manner). We conclude, as did the commission, that in failing to respond to the committee's inquiries, Gardalen violated DR 1-102(A)(5) (lawyer shall not engage in conduct prejudicial to administration of justice); DR 1-102(A)(6) (lawyer shall not engage in conduct adversely reflecting on his fitness to practice law); and EC 1-4 (lawyer should assist committees having responsibility for administration of disciplinary rules).