Kentucky

Attorney Discipline: November 2010

By Michael Stevens

VI. ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE

A. Kentucky Bar Association v. Robinson
2010-SC-000569-KB     November 18, 2010
Opinion of the Court.  All sitting; all concur.  Attorney was suspended for 30 days for failure to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing client, failure to keep client reasonably informed or promptly respond to reasonable requests for information, knowing failure to respond to lawful demand for information from disciplinary authority, and failure to maintain with Director current address at which attorney can be communicated with by mail.  Despite fact that client who initially filed complaint later indicated he did not wish to proceed further, SCR 3.160(1) required submission to Inquiry Commission once complaint was filed and investigated.  Attorney had been previously suspended for failure to pay bar dues and entry of guilty plea to felony and had not been reinstated.  He was also ordered to attend Ethics and Professional Enhancement Program and to pay costs of proceeding.

B. Kentucky Bar Association v. Jennifer Sue Whitlock
2010-SC-000538-KB November 18, 2010
Opinion of the Court.  All sitting; all concur.  Attorney was found to have committed several ethical violations and was suspended from the practice of law for one year.  The Supreme Court further ordered attorney to refund fees to a f ormer client and to consult with and agree to monitoring by the Kentucky Lawyers Assistance Program.

C. Kentucky Bar Association v. Louis Zimmerman
2010-SC-000563-KB November 18, 2010
Opinion of the Court.  All sitting; all concur.  Supreme Court adopted recommendation that attorney be publicly reprimanded as a result of engaging in misconduct during his representation of a client.  Attorney was ordered to attend and successfully complete the Ethics and Professional Enhancement Program presented by the KBA Office of Bar Counsel and to pay all costs associated with t he disciplinary proceedings. 

D. Kentucky Bar Association v. Joshua Michael Robinson
2010-SC-000569-KB 
November 18, 2010
Opinion of the Court.  All sitting; all concur.  Attorney was suspended for 30 days for failure to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing client, failure to keep client reasonably informed or promptly respond to reasonable requests for information, knowing failure to respond to lawful demand for information from disciplinary authority, and failure to maintain with Director current address at which attorney can be communicated with by mail.  Despite fact that client who initially filed complaint later indicated he did not wish to proceed further, SCR 3.160(1) required submission to Inquiry Commission once complaint was filed and investigated.  Attorney had been previously suspended for failure to pay bar dues and entry of guilty plea to felony and had not been reinstated.  He was also ordered to attend Ethics and Professional Enhancement Program and to pay costs of proceeding.

E. Inquiry Commission v. Donald Lynn Richardson
 2010-SC-000570-KB November 18, 2010
Opinion of the Court.  All sitting; all concur.  Supreme Court temporarily suspend attorney from the practice of law based on probable cause that attorney misappropriated or otherwise improperly dealt with funds held for others.

Full post as published by Kentucky Cases on January 24, 2011 (boomark / email).