Court Opinion

ID: 9773136
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 17:38:16.072897+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:50.349821
License: Public Domain

Steele Hays, Justice, dissenting. I believe the majority is relying too much on appearance and adopts too strict a standard. Two circuit judges examined the ethics issue in detail and found either no impropriety or no prejudice. The majority opinion asserts that disqualification should occur “only when the attorney involved actually has knowledge acquired during the former association.” [Emphasis in the original]. I agree, but the majority points to nothing from the proof which meets that test, other than appearances, and I can find nothing on my own review of the record from which to conclude the two trial judges clearly erred. Appellant’s brief does not contend that he and Preston Hickey had other than a general conversation or discussed anything that worked to the advantage of the appellee or to the disadvantage of the appellant. In short, I find no evidence that Preston Hickey’s overlapping affiliation with the two firms had any material impact on the case.