Court Opinion

ID: 9781929
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 17:39:39.657348+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:34:42.307909
License: Public Domain

KAUGER, J.,
with whom REIF, J., joins dissenting.
« 1 The substance of the respondent's misconduct is that, in 2002, the attorney failed to file an action to collect $517.73 owed a client and misrepresented the fact of his failure to file to the client and to the Bar Association. The ninety day suspension imposed on the respondent by the majority's opinion is not consistent with discipline imposed on other attorneys in similar instances, especially in light of the multitude of mitigating cireum-stances in this cause. Therefore, I dissent.
T2 This Court must craft discipline which is consistent with that imposed on other attorneys in order to avoid disparate treatment.1 We also consider mitigating cireum-stances in our assessment of the appropriate measure of discipline.2
*82813 The mitigating cireumstances in this cause are substantial and myriad. First, the respondent collected no fee from the client at any time. Second, of his own accord, and before any action was commenced by the Bar, the respondent paid the client $550 out of his own pocket. In other words, the respondent's client in this matter did not suffer any pecuniary loss, but instead actually received a net gain without ever paying a fee. Conversely, the respondent received no money from the client, but instead suffered a pecuniary loss on his own initiative. Third, in 2002, around the time of the misconduct, the respondent had a heart attack. This was the beginning of a series of serious and long-term health problems, including coronary artery disease, a congenital heart valve deformity, and hemorrhaging blood vessels in his eye. Fourth, as a result of his health problems, the respondent voluntarily closed his practice in 2004, moved to New Hampshire, and has not practiced law since. Fifth, the respondent was divorced shortly before closing his practice. Sixth, the respondent was admitted to the Bar in 1974 and has no prior instances of professional misconduct.
T4 Based on these facts, the PRT recommended a two year and one day suspension. The PRT made the same recommendation in State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Lile, 2008 OK 82, ¶27, 194 P.3d 1275, in which Lile repeatedly abused his position as an appellate judge to attempt to influence judges, prosecutors, police officers, Regimented Inmate Discipline Program employees, and members of the Board of Corrections on behalf of his son and girlfriend. He also filed false travel claims to seek state reimbursement for personal trips, and sought state reimbursement for purchases made by his girlfriend. In Lile, we unanimously rejected the recommendation of the Bar and PRT and ordered that Lile be disbarred. Here, the majority has rejected the two year and one day suspension recommended by the PRT in favor of a ninety day suspension, but even this shorter suspension is disparate treatment.
T5 There have been many prior cases of attorneys who have neglected client matters. In eleven prior cases, an attorney engaged in client neglect was disciplined by a public censure.3 In some of these cases, the attorney engaged in some form of misrepresentation as well.4 The cases in which we sus*829pended an attorney who had engaged in client neglect and misrepresentation usually included more than one instance of neglect, a loss suffered by one or more clients, and few if any mitigating cireumstances.5
T 6 In cases where client neglect in a single matter resulted in more than a public censure, the facts were not analogous to the instant cause. In State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Denney, 1980 OK 148, ¶¶2-8, 617 P.2d 1351, an attorney received a ninety day suspension for his failure to file a brief with his petition in error in a divorce action and failure to file a brief with his application to withdraw the mandate, effectively causing the dismissal of the case. The attorney presented no mitigating cireumstances.6 In State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Robertson, 1980 OK 176, ¶¶ 1-4, 620 P.2d 382, an attorney was suspended for ninety days when his failure to appear resulted in an $83,000 default judgment against his client. The attorney's discipline was mitigated by the fact that the attorney's practice was being dismantled at the time of the misconduct and by the attorney's long history of competent practice. In State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Thompson, 1998 OK 144, ¶¶ 2-13, 864 P.2d 339, an attorney was suspended for ninety days when his failure to appear resulted in a default judgment against his client. The attorney also misrepresented his actions to his client and to the Bar. The attorney's discipline was mitigated because the attorney was a recovering alcoholic and had a long history of competent practice.
T7 In State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Rozin, 1991 OK 132, ¶¶2-6, 824 P.2d 1127, the attorney was suspended for 60 days because he neglected a case and fabricated a judgment in attempt to hide his misconduct. His sentence was mitigated by his lack of prior discipline, the fact that he had only a single occurrence of misconduct, and the lack of any economic harm to the client or gain by the attorney. There is not a single case in which an attorney, who retired after committing a single act of client neglect which resulted in no loss to the client or gain to the attorney, was suspended.
T8 Bar discipline is never intended to be punitive. There are three primary purposes of bar discipline: 1) to protect the public, legal profession, and judiciary from the dangers of professional misconduct; 2) to maintain the public's confidence in the legal profession; and 8) to generally and specifically deter attorneys from engaging in similar misconduct in the future.7 Because the respon*830dent no longer practices law, the discipline recommended cannot serve the first purpose of bar discipline, nor can the discipline serve the purpose of specific deterrence. Given the many pertinent mitigating cireumstances, it will do little to serve the second and third purposes of bar discipline to so harshly discipline the attorney.
CONCLUSION
T9 The nondelegable, constitutional responsibility to regulate the practice, ethics, licensure, and discipline of the practitioners of the law is solely vested in this Court.8 In order to fulfill this responsibility, while avoiding disparate treatment and being cognizant of the compelling mitigating cireumstances, I would impose a private reprimand.

. State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Schraeder, 2002 OK 51, ¶6, 51 P.3d 570; State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Eakin, 1995 OK 106, ¶9, 914 P.2d 644.

. State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Schraeder, see note 1, supra at ¶ 32; State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Eakin, see note 1, supra.

. State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Kelley, 2002 OK 10, 48 P.3d 777 (Neglected to keep client informed. Repeatedly failed to respond to Bar inquiries. Mitigated by lack of economic harm, attorney's choice to seek counseling, and lack of prior discipline.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Brewer, 1999 OK 101, 998 P.2d 605 (Began but abandoned probate action. Didn't file bankruptcy petition. Returned retainer. Enhanced by prior private reprimand.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Green, 1997 OK 39, 936 P.2d 947 (Failure to file an answer resulted in a default judgment. Failure to enter an appearance resulted in summary judgment on the issue of liability.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Donnelly, 1992 OK 164, 848 P.2d 543 (Failed to file suit and misrepresented the fact to client. Mitigated by {fact that client suffered no economic harm and that attorney was a recovering alcoholic.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Busch, 1992 OK 68, 832 P.2d 845 (Failed to appear in one matter. Failed to notify client of dismissal of another matter. Enhanced by prior private reprimand.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Blackburn, 1991 OK 35, 812 P.2d 379 (Filed a criminal appeal, but didn't file a brief. Represented husband in a divorce despite the fact that wife had contacted him first. Circumstances mitigated by the fact that the attorney was a recovering addict.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Landman, 1989 OK 162, 784 P.2d 1064 (Failed to file various motions in sev-cral actions. Mitigated by attorney's long history of professional competence and personal tragedies affecting the attorney and her family around the time of the misconduct.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Borders, 1989 OK 101, 777 P.2d 929 (Failed to notify mother of criminal defendant client about status of case. Lost an abstract of title); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Lobaugh, 1988 OK 144, 781 P.2d 806 (Failed to file an action and kept $250 retainer. Misrepresented to client that case had been filed. Circumstances mitigated by the fact that the PRT conducted hearing without lawyer present, lawyer's long history of professional competence, and fact that misconduct occurred in only one matter.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Braswell, 1983 OK 63, 663 P.2d 1228 (Filed claim after limitations period because had several actions pending for the same client and likely misplaced the unfiled claim.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Foster, 1969 OK 23, 454 P.2d 654 (Failed to file a suit.). See also State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Simank, 2001 OK 13, 19 P.3d 860 (Public reprimand for employing a felon and repeatedly failing to respond to Bar inquires.);

. State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Donnelly, see note 3 supra (Misrepresented to client that case had been filed.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Lobaugh, see note 3, supra (Misrepresented to client that case had been filed.).

. Two Years and a Day: State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Jenkins, 2001 OK 54, 27 P.3d 91 (Didn't file or filed late in five actions. Kept $3000 retainer until client got it back from him in small claims. Kept $1500 retainer until client got it back from him in small claims. Kept a $1000 retainer and two separate $500 retainers.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Bolusky, 2001 OK 26, 23 P.3d 268 (Failed to file a case and refused to return file to client. Neglected client matters in two other cases. Failed to appear in a fourth case. Failed to file in a fifth case and fabricated a judgment. Misrepresented to clients and Bar. Failed to respond to Bar inquiry. Mitigated by attorney's history of depression.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Maynard, 1972 OK 32, 494 P.2d 655 (Didn't file a case and kept $250 retainer and documents. Didn't file a case, kept retainer, and client suffered a default judgment. Wrote a hot check.)
One Year: State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Hummel, 2004 OK 30, 89 P.3d 1105 (Neglected clients. Failed to return money and documents to clients. Made misrepresentations to clients. Enhanced by two prior private reprimands. Mitigated by attorney's clinical depression.)
90 Days: State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Latimer, 1972 OK 106, 499 P.2d 399 (Filed but abandoned two related probate actions.)
60 Days: State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Benefield, 2002 OK 37, 51 P.3d 1198 (Didn't file three separate cases or return documents. Until PRT hearing, kept $1500 in retainers. Failed to respond to Bar. Enhanced by prior private reprimand.).
30 Days: State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Schraeder, see note 1, supra (Failed to file a criminal appeal and communicate with client's family. Failed to take action in several matters for one client. Failed to timely respond to Bar inquiries. Mitigated by professional burnout syndrome.); State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Jaques, 2000 OK 57, 11 P.3d 621 (Employee fabricated a judgment. Forged documents. Not diligent in a criminal appeal. Mitigated by lack of prior discipline.).

. State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Denney, 1980 OK 143, ¶¶ 9-11, 617 P.2d 1351.

. State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Burns, 2006 OK 75, ¶25, 145 P.3d 1088; State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Carpenter, 1993 OK 86, ¶16, 863 P.2d 1123; State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Donnelly, see note 3, supra at ¶ 14.

. Arkansas Valley State Bank v. Phillips, 2007 OK. 78, ¶13, 171 P.3d 899; State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Pacenza, 2006 OK 23, ¶18, 136 P.3d 616; State ex rel. Okla. Bar Ass'n v. Holden, 1995 OK 25, ¶ 1, 895 P.2d 707.