678 results for 'cat:"Attorney Discipline"'.
Per curiam, the appellate division finds that attorney Alexander R. Cane must be subjected to reciprocal discipline based on a finding that he committed misconducted toward judges and staff in a New Jersey immigration court. He verbally insulted them in speech and in email, but he also has no formal prior disciplinary record and 30 years of practice helping underrepresented clients. He made an apology and a display of remorse as well, but these do not eliminate the need for discipline.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 15, 2024, Case #: 02668, Categories: Immigration, attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the Georgia Supreme Court disbars attorney James W. Davis III for intercepting a $3 million payment from an insurance company to a policy holder. The insurer received false wiring instructions directing it to send the funds to the attorney's trust account. The attorney converted his clients' property when he included some client funds from his trust account to partially reimburse the insurer.
Court: Georgia Supreme Court, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 14, 2024, Case #: S23Y0622, Categories: Judiciary, attorney Discipline
J. Edmondson suspends Kenyatta Ray Bethea for one year. Bethea pleaded guilty to a first-time misdemeanor DUI after colliding with two vehicles, injuring six people, including children, inflicting significant bodily harm. Clear and convincing evidence establishes the attorney is remorseful and has taken additional steps by leaving the ignition interlock device on his car for an extra two months. The attorney also independently sought counseling. There is no evidence he has a history of driving under the influence.
Court: Oklahoma Supreme Court, Judge: Edmondson , Filed On: May 14, 2024, Case #: SCBD-7443, Categories: Evidence, Sanctions, attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the appellate division finds that attorney Rita Horowitz Altman, sanctioned for misconduct where she lives and practices immigration law in Florida, should be suspended in New York for three years. Altman failed to timely report the discipline in her home jurisdiction, which stretched over nearly 20 years, as well as discipline imposed by the board of immigration appeals based on the Florida misconduct. Meanwhile, her actions in Florida would have qualified for discipline New York.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 9, 2024, Case #: PM-86-24, Categories: attorney Discipline
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Per curiam, the appellate division finds that attorney William Brammer should be suspended for 30 days due to similar sanctions imposed upon misconduct in his home jurisdiction of Washington, D.C. Brammer promptly alerted New York officials to the discipline, which included his admission to lack of client communication, and the New York suspension is retroactive to the suspension imposed in D.C. in January 2021.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 9, 2024, Case #: PM-87-24, Categories: attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the appellate division finds that attorney Gerald Orseck should be suspended for three years for misconduct. The parties agreed to the discipline following lengthy negotiations over charges that Orseck mismanaged his escrow account and engaged in conflicts of interest with a current client, and other instances of discipline during his 65 years of practice were also considered.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 9, 2024, Case #: PM-88-24, Categories: attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the Supreme Court of Ohio finds attorney Jack Herchel VanBibber will be suspended from the practice of law for two years for multiple criminal convictions stemming from traffic violations, his failure to comply with court orders related to those convictions and his refusal to cooperate with the ensuing disciplinary investigation. VanBibber continued to drive on a suspended license even after an OVI conviction, led police on a chase through a residential area after being pulled over and showed little respect to disciplinary proceedings when he refused to cooperate initially. However, because he has an otherwise clean disciplinary record, his suspension will be stayed so long as he commits no further misconduct.
Court: Ohio Supreme Court, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 7, 2024, Case #: 2024-Ohio-1702, Categories: Sanctions, attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the circuit finds that attorney George Adrian Rusk should be publicly reprimanded for his conduct in a 2022 appeal that was dismissed as frivolous. The order advises Rusk that similar future misconduct will result in more severe discipline and requires that he attend continuing legal education programs on both federal appellate practices and appellate brief writing.
Court: 2nd Circuit, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 7, 2024, Case #: 23-90006-am, Categories: attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the Supreme Court of Colorado finds former Arapahoe County District Court Judge John E. Scipione will be publicly sanctioned and required to pay attorney fees for disciplinary proceedings related to his violation of eight judicial conduct rules. Scipione used his position as a judge to seek intimate relationships with subordinate employees on at least three occasions, sexually harassed at least one employee, and failed to disclose intimate relationships with former law clerks and other personnel. While his resignation ensures he will commit no further misconduct, he will also be required to pay $51,000 in attorney fees. Affirmed.
Court: Colorado Supreme Court, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 6, 2024, Case #: 2024CO23, Categories: Judiciary, Attorney Fees, attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the Oklahoma Supreme Court approves the Lee Griffin's resignation. Griffin is aware the bar is investigating grievances filed against her, including that she allegedly failed to disburse funds transferred to her upon the sale of marital property in three separate divorce proceedings, as well as failing to take action to seek grandchildren visitation rights on a client's behalf with attorney fees having been paid in advance. She also has pending criminal charges for embezzlement. The attorney's resignation was freely and voluntarily entered.
Court: Oklahoma Supreme Court, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 6, 2024, Case #: SCBD-7650, Categories: Administrative Law, Fiduciary Duty, attorney Discipline
J. Morrison orders the former attorney, Andrew Plasse, in an excessive force lawsuit against New York City to transfer his client’s case file to the new counsel, Michael Walker, finding the Plasse is not entitled to either a retaining or charging lien after concluding he was discharged from the case with cause. Plasse was sanctioned by the court for failing to act in his client’s best interest, including withholding pertinent details of a proposed settlement agreement and by lying to the court about his client’s health in order to adjourn a scheduled conference.
Court: USDC Eastern District of New York, Judge: Morrison, Filed On: May 6, 2024, Case #: 1:14cv680, NOS: Other Civil Rights - Civil Rights, Categories: Civil Rights, Sanctions, attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the Oklahoma Supreme Court approves the Joseph Dewayne Kalka's resignation. Kalka pleaded guilty to charges of domestic abuse by attempted strangulation of his wife and striking her head, face and body. The attorney's resignation affidavit was freely and voluntarily entered, with full awareness of the consequences.
Court: Oklahoma Supreme Court, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 6, 2024, Case #: SCBD-7576, Categories: Administrative Law, Assault, attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the Kansas Supreme Court finds a lower court properly disciplined an attorney for violating the state's rules of professional conduct, which resulted in a suspension to practice law. The attorney argued that he was stressed out over his obligations to maintain his practice and administrative duties. However, his client, who faced criminal threats and battery toward a law enforcement officer and domestic violence, presented sufficient evidence in court that he withheld submitting a plea agreement on his behalf in order to collect his fees ahead of time.
Court: Kansas Supreme Court, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 126270, Categories: attorney Discipline
[Consolidated.] J. Eaton finds the Professional Responsibility Board improperly entered two separate decisions with different sanctions regarding attorney Theodore studdert-Kennedy’s misconduct during a divorce proceeding. The board reduced a reprimand’s presumptive sanction to a private admonition, but this failed to consider if the his sanction was consistent with other cases. The decision is vacated and remanded for further proceedings. Reversed.
Court: Vermont Supreme Court, Judge: Eaton, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 23-AP-263, Categories: Sanctions, attorney Discipline
J. Mansfield finds that attorney Ta-Yu Yang was properly suspended from practicing law for 60 days because Yang, an experienced immigration attorney, failed to follow proper trust account practices in an immigration action.
Court: Iowa Supreme Court, Judge: Mansfield, Filed On: May 3, 2024, Case #: 23-1833, Categories: attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the Supreme Court of Ohio finds attorney James Terry Robinson will be indefinitely suspended from the practice of law for his failure to self-report a felony conviction on drug charges and his continued use and sale of illegal drugs, including crack cocaine. Robinson admitted to drug use over an eight year period during a previous suspension, and will be ineligible for reinstatement until he completes a Narcotics Anonymous program and complies with all other continuing education requirements.
Court: Ohio Supreme Court, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 2, 2024, Case #: 2024-Ohio-1657, Categories: Sanctions, attorney Discipline
J. Bedsworth holds that the trial court properly awarded $10,000 in discovery sanctions against a law firm. Regardless of whether the law firm was counsel of record when sanctions were imposed, it is liable because it misused the discovery process with unmeritorious objections, evasive responses and nasty emails, and its lead attorney was "woefully uncivil." Affirmed.
Court: California Courts Of Appeal, Judge: Bedsworth, Filed On: May 2, 2024, Case #: G061829, Categories: Sanctions, Discovery, attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the appellate division vacates its March 2024 order naming the Mid-Hudson Women's Bar Association as custodian to take possession of the files of Delores Felice Seligman, a deceased attorney, who had been suspended for failing to cooperate with an investigation into the management of her escrow account.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 2, 2024, Case #: PM-77-24, Categories: attorney Discipline
Per curiam, the appellate division finds that attorney Yasutaka Orihara may not be reinstated from his May 2019 suspension for failing to meet registration requirements because Orihara failed to demonstrate compliance with continuing legal education requirements for suspensions of longer than two years.
Court: New York Appellate Divisions, Judge: Per curiam, Filed On: May 2, 2024, Case #: PM-78-24, Categories: attorney Discipline