Court Opinion

ID: 9929494
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-02 19:05:32.608939+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T10:24:08.542546
License: Public Domain

02/02/2024

     Pamela D. Bucy
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     Chief Disciplinary Counsel                                                     Case Number: PR 24-0066

 2   P.O. Box 1099
     Helena, Montana 59624
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     Tel: (406) 442-1648
 4   pbuc‘ (4r ,montanaodc.org

 5   Office of Disciplinary Counsel
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                    BEFORE THE COMMISSION ON PRACTICE OF THE
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                     SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
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     IN THE MATTER OF JACK H. MORRIS,                   Supreme Court Cause No.
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     An Attorney at Law,                                ODC File Nos. 22-223 & 22-224
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     Respondent.                                        COMPLAINT
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                                                        Rules 3.3, 4.2 and 8.4, MRPC
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16          By leave of the Commission on Practice granted on January 11, 2024, the
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     Office of Disciplinary Counsel for the State of Montana ("ODC"), hereby charges
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     Jack H. Morris with professional misconduct as follows:

20                                    General Allegations
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            1. Jack H. Morris, hereinafter referred to as Respondent, was admitted to the
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     practice of law in the State of Montana in 1991, at which time Respondent took the
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24   oath required for admission, wherein he agreed to abide by the Rules of Professional

25   Conduct, the Disciplinary Rules adopted by the Supreme Court, and the highest

     Complaint - Page 1
     standards of honesty, justice and morality, including but not limited to, those
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 2   outlined in parts 3 and 4 of Chapter 61, Title 37, Montana Code Annotated.
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            2. The Montana Supreme Court has approved and adopted the Montana Rules
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     of Professional Conduct ("MRPC"), governing the ethical conduct of attorneys
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     licensed to practice in the State of Montana, which Rules were in effect at all times

 7   mentioned in this Complaint.
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            3. At all times relevant to this Complaint, Respondent worked as a sole-
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     practitioner and accepted cases throughout various Montana counties.
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11          4. On or about March 25, 2020, three (3) co-defendants were charged with

12   crimes including and related to Deliberate Homicide, before the Fifth Judicial
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     District Court, Beaverhead County. The two (2) co-defendants relevant to this matter
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     include C.V., who was represented by Ms. Jill Gannon-Nagle (`Gannon-Nagle"),
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16   and K.J., who was represented by Respondent.

17                                       Count One
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            5. ODC reincorporates and restates the allegations contained in paragraphs 1
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     through 4 of the General Allegations as if fully restated in this Count One.
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21          6. C.V. entered into a plea agreement with the State of Montana which
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     provided C.V. was to testify during K.J.'s trial. Respondent contacted Gannon-Nagle
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     in July 2022, to discuss, among other things, C.V.' s pending plea agreement and a
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     //

     Complaint - Page 2
     potential deposition of C.V. Gannon-Nagle informed Respondent she wanted to be
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 2   present for any communications with, and/or depositions of, C.V.
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            7. Thereafter, Respondent filed various defense motions in K.J.'s matter,
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     some of which related to a potential deposition of C.V., and another as to whether
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     probable cause existed in K.J.'s case. The District Court set a Motions Hearing to be

 7   held October 28, 2022.
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            8. On October 24, 2022, Respondent contacted Gannon-Nagle about
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     accepting service of a subpoena for C.V.'s testimony at the October 28 hearing.
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11   Because C.V. was being housed in Passages Treatment Center ("Passages") in

12   Billings, Montana, Gannon-Nagle referred Respondent to the facility to effectuate
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     service and coordinate C.V.'s appearance. Gannon-Nagle did not authorize
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     Respondent to have conversations with C.V. outside service of the subpoena.
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16          9. Respondent contacted Passages and spoke with C.V.'s case manager and

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     informed her of his intent to serve C.V. with a subpoena for the October 28 hearing.
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     That same day, C.V. contacted Respondent by phone. Respondent did not limit their
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     conversation to the subpoena or willingness to testify and discussed specifics of C.V.
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21   and K.J.'s case, including those related to the alleged lack of probable cause in K.J.'s
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     matter.
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            10. The duration of Respondent and C.V.'s conversation was approximately
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     20 minutes.

     Complaint - Page 3
            11. Following Respondent's phone call with C.V., Respondent left a message
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 2   for Gannon-Nagle indicating he had spoken with C.V., would be issuing her a
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     subpoena, and provided a contact number for C.V.
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            12. Respondent's conduct as outlined above, constitutes a violation of Rule
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     4.2, Communication with Person Represented by Counsel, and Rule 8.4(a)(c),

 7   Misconduct, MRPC.
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                                          Count Two
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            13. ODC reincorporates paragraphs 1 through 4 of the General Allegations
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11   and paragraphs 5 through 12 of Count One as if fully restated in this Count Two.

12          14. Respondent sought a subpoena for C.V. on October 24, which was issued
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     to him later that evening. On October 25, 2022, both the State of Montana and
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     Gannon-Nagle, moved to quash Respondent's subpoena, which the District Court
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16   granted that day.
17          15. During the October 28 hearing, the District Court asked Respondent
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     questions to clarify the nature and extent of Respondent's communications with
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     Gannon-Nagle and C.V. Respondent informed the District Court he had first verified
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21   Gannon-Nagle was still C.V.' s attorney, had asked her for permission to speak with
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     C.V., regardless of a subpoena, and that Gannon-Nagle confirmed he could. Further,
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     that his conversation with C.V. related to her willingness to testify.
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     //

     Complaint - Page 4
            16. Respondent's representations to the District Court that Gannon-Nagle
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 2   authorized him to speak with C.V. beyond service of the subpoena, and that their
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     conversation was limited to her willingness to testify, constitutes a violation of Rule
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     3.3, Candor Toward the Tribunal, MRPC.
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            17. Respondent's misrepresentations about his conversations with Gannon-

 7   Nagle, C.V., and/or his failure to correct the same, constitutes a violation of Rule
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     8.4(a)(c), Misconduct, MRPC.
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            WHEREFORE, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel prays:
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11          1. That a Citation be issued to the Respondent, to which shall be attached a

12   copy of the complaint, requiring Respondent, within twenty-one (21) days after
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     service thereof, to file a written answer to the Complaint;
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            2. That a formal hearing be had on the allegations of this complaint before an
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16   Adjudicatory Panel of the Commission;

17          3. That the Adjudicatory Panel of the Commission make a report of its
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     findings and recommendations after a formal hearing to the Montana Supreme
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     Court, and, in the event the Adjudicatory Panel finds the facts warrant disciplinary
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21   action and recommends discipline, that the Commission also recommend the nature
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     and extent of appropriate disciplinary action, including an award of costs and
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     expenses incurred in investigating and prosecuting this matter; and,
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     //

     Complaint - Page 5
            4. For such other and further relief as deemed necessary and proper.
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                            ria.
            DATED this             day of February 2024.
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                                             OFFICE OF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL
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                                             By:     C
                                                   Pamela D. Bucy
                                                   Chief Disciplinary Counsel
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     Complaint - Page 6
                              CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, Pamela D. Bucy, hereby certify that I have served true and accurate copies of the foregoing
Complaint - Formal Complaint and Citation to Appear to the following on 02-02-2024:

Shelly Smith (Court Reporter)
Office Administrator
Supreme Court Boards and Commissions
P.O. Box 203002
301 S. Park Ave., Ste. 328
Helena MT 59624
Service Method: eService
E-mail Address: shellysmith@mt.gov

                                Electronically signed by Shelby Streib on behalf of Pamela D. Bucy
                                                                                 Dated: 02-02-2024