Court Opinion

ID: 9755218
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 20:30:36.349125+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:05.311545
License: Public Domain

O’HERN, J.,
dissenting.
I am increasingly unable “to draw the lines of moral quality” that the Court thinks it can. In re Conway, 107 N.J. 168, 190 (1987) (O’Hern, J., dissenting). The respondent has been found guilty of no crime, has not committed a Wilson violation, and yet he is to be disbarred. What distinguishes his conduct from so many others who are not disbarred?
Because I see no need to besmirch the names of attorneys previously disciplined by the Court, I will not refer to their cases by name, although the precedent is well known to the Court.
An attorney who had been convicted of misusing the funds of minors in his custody has been restored to practice.
*521An attorney who had committed eleven instances of neglect, misrepresented the status of cases to his clients, kept retainers that he had not earned, and “displayed an indifference to the justice system in his failure to confront the ethics charges” has been restored to practice.
An attorney whose ethical infractions included “a pattern of neglect in his handling of his clients’ legal matters,” such as “failpng] to carry out contracts of employment, * * * ke[eping] retainers without performing services * * *, comminglpng] clients’ trust funds, * * * failpng] to account to his clients,” and most importantly, misusing clients’ funds, has been restored to practice.
A prosecuting attorney who removed drugs from the County’s evidence locker to share with a female informant and another, was found to have been suffering from “extreme personal stress.” We observed that “[d]uring that period, he lost his ethical compass and went astray. In the interim, he has found his bearings.” He will someday be restored to practice.
Just how does the Court draw these lines of moral quality? The Disciplinary Review Board is unable to perceive them. In this case, it was divided five to three with respect to the discipline to be imposed. In part, I suspect that was because respondent made no effort to defend himself before that committee.
This is a most unusual case. Respondent was about to be disbarred without ever appearing in our Court and his ex-wife asked whether we should not seek to know what explained his seemingly aberrant misconduct. An attorney who has stepped forward to plead the case of respondent brought to our attention that during this period from 1984 to 1987 respondent was going through a divorce. He was deeply disturbed by the breakup of his family and the change in personal relationships that he could not reconcile.
I cannot perceive a stark difference between respondent and others whom we have restored to practice. Accordingly, I would adopt the recommendation of the three members of the *522Disciplinary Review Board that would impose a three-year suspension, to be continued indefinitely thereafter until respondent is able to demonstrate that he is fit to resume the practice of law.
For disbarment — Justices CLIFFORD, HANDLER, POLLOCK, GARIBALDI and STEIN — 5.
Justice O’HERN has filed a separate dissenting opinion — 1.
For suspension — 1.
ORDER
It is ORDERED that JAMES V. SPAGNOLI of ELIZABETH, who was admitted to the bar of this State in 1969, be disbarred and that his name be stricken from the roll of attorneys of this State, effective immediately; and it is further ORDERED that JAMES Y. SPAGNOLI be and hereby is permanently restrained and enjoined from practicing law; and it is further
ORDERED that respondent comply with Administrative Guideline No. 23 of the Office of Attorney Ethics dealing with disbarred attorneys; and it is further ORDERED that respondent reimburse the Ethics Financial Committee for appropriate administrative costs.