Disciplinary History

The attorney was summarily suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar, effective June 8, 2016, for failing to respond to formal requests for a written response concerning a disciplinary matter. The attorney subsequently submitted a written response and petitioned for dissolution of the summary suspension. The Disciplinary Commission granted the petition and ordered that the summary suspension be dissolved on June 10, 2016.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law, pursuant to Rule 25, Ala. R. Disc. P., by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama on August 11, 2016, retroactive to June 8, 2016. The Supreme Court entered its order based on the order entered by Panel III of the Disciplinary Board imposing reciprocal discipline of a one-year suspension. This suspension was imposed as reciprocal discipline for the order of suspension entered on May 18, 2016 by the Supreme Court of another State, for violations of Rules 1.2(d), 4.1(b), and 8.4(a)(4), R. Prof. C. (1990). The attorney accompanied his client onto property without authorization and misled a law enforcement officer and others into believing he had a court order allowing him to enter the property and remove certain items. The attorney was also suspended for a period of forty-five days by the Supreme Court of another State effective June 10, 2005, and ordered to reimburse $500 to the Circuit Clerk of a County in another State, for violations of Rules 3.5(h) and 8.4(a)(3), R. Prof. C. The attorney paid an assistant clerk in the clerk’s office to provide him copies of bond forms or other information relating to persons charged with driving under the influence. The assistant clerk produced approximately 500 bond forms by utilizing the Circuit Clerk’s copy machine.

On May 27, 2016, the attorney was issued a private reprimand for violating Rules 1.3, 1.4(a), and 1.15(a), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney was hired to represent a client in removing the client from the Sex Offender Registry so that the designation would be taken off his driver’s license and he would no longer have to register every quarter as a sex offender. The attorney agreed to represent the client for a flat fee of $5,000.00. The attorney failed to deposit these funds into an IOLTA account. The attorney did not complete drafting the petition until mid-September of 2015 and failed to file the petition prior to the client’s termination of the attorney’s representation on October 21, 2015.

On May 27, 2016, the attorney was issued a private reprimand for violations of Rules 1.3, 1.4(a) and (b), 1.15(a), and 1.16(d), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney was hired to represent a client and her boyfriend in uncontested divorces. The attorney charged the client $800.00 for each divorce. After paying the attorney, the client did not hear from him for several months so she went to his office. Within a week, the attorney had drafted the paperwork for each divorce and it was signed by the client and her boyfriend. The client’s husband was in jail at the time and unable to sign. The client asked the attorney to visit her husband in jail to obtain his signature and was under the impression that the attorney would do so. The divorce was never filed and the client was unable to contact the attorney. Thereafter, the attorney accepted a position with the State of Alabama and was ineligible to engage in the private practice of law. The client was not contacted by the attorney or his office and informed of his inability to represent her further and she was not provided any refund of her fees.

The attorney was issued a private reprimand for violations of Rules 1.3, 1.4(a) and (b), 1.15(a), and 1.16(d), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney was hired to represent a client to file a petition to expunge her son’s arrest after the charges had been dismissed. After the client contacted the attorney numerous times in May and June of 2015, the petition was finally prepared and signed on July 6, 2015. Thereafter, the petition was never filed and the client was unable to reach the attorney. Thereafter, the attorney accepted a position with the State of Alabama and was ineligible to engage in the private practice of law. The client was not contacted by the attorney or his office and informed of his inability to represent her son any further and she was not provided any refund of her fees.

The attorney was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective May 23, 2016. The Supreme Court entered its order based on the Disciplinary Board’s order accepting the attorney's Consent to Disbarment, based upon allegations that he violated Rule 1.15(c) and Rule 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of 180 days effective May 6, 2016, for violations of Rules 1.2 (d), 4.1, 1.16 (a), and 8.4 (a) and (g), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney admitted that he allowed his trust account to be used in a sham investment scheme wherein he defrauded his client. The complainant, relying on the attorney's involvement and his statements regarding the validity of the transaction, wired funds to the attorney's trust account. The attorney disbursed the funds to himself and others upon the direction of his client, and repeatedly assured the complainant the return on his investment was forthcoming, even though he knew or should have known the scheme was predicated upon plainly fraudulent, forged or meaningless documents. The attorney was ordered to make restitution to the complainant as a pre-condition of reinstatement.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of 42 months effective May 1, 2016, for violations of Rules 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.15 (a), (b), (e), & (n) and 8.4 (a) & (g), Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. The attorney obtained an advance from a third party secured by his fee in a specific matter. Thereafter he failed to deposit or preserve the portion of the client’s settlement in which the third party had an interest in his trust account, to notify the third party of receipt of the funds, or to disburse to the third party its funds. In all these matters the attorney failed to maintain or produce upon the request of the Office of General Counsel records he is required to maintain and produce by the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct.

On April 26, 2016, an attorney received a private reprimand, and was required to pay a $750 administrative fee pursuant to Rule 33, Ala. R. Disc. P., for violating Rules 1.9, 8.4(a) and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C. In or about March of 2009, the respondent attorney was appointed to represent a client in a criminal matter. Less than three weeks later the respondent attorney filed a motion to withdraw which was granted. On or about July 17, 2010, the respondent attorney filed a civil lawsuit against the former client based on the actions which occurred in the matter for which the respondent attorney was appointed to represent him.

The Disciplinary Commission ordered that the attorney receive a private reprimand for violating Rules 1.3, 1.4 (a) and 8.4 (a) and (g), Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. The attorney was hired to appeal a district court judgment against his client and failed to timely file the appeal. The attorney also did not communicate with his client and failed to keep him reasonably informed. The attorney also failed to notify his client that his office had moved and failed to return multiple phone calls to the client.

The Disciplinary Commission ordered that the attorney receive a private reprimand for violating Rules 1.3, 1.4 (a) and 8.4 (a) and (g), Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. The attorney did not provide the legal services or respond to his client’s calls regarding the status of his matter and was subsequently unable to locate his file.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of sixty (60) days, by order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective April 21, 2016. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney's Conditional Guilty Plea, wherein the attorney pled guilty to violating Rules 3.4(c) and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney had requested to be transferred to Disability Inactive Status in September of 2013. After being transferred to Disability Inactive Status, the attorney returned to her law firm where she performed secretarial and other paralegal duties. The attorney failed to obtain permission of the Disciplinary Commission to work for the law firm. On March 7, 2016, the attorney petitioned for reinstatement to the active practice of law in the State of Alabama and was subsequently reinstated by order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective April 12, 2016.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of forty-five (45) days, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective April 15, 2016. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney's Conditional Guilty Plea, wherein the attorney pled guilty to violating Rules 1.4(b), 1.5(b), 1.16(d) and 8.4(c), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney was suspended for a period of one hundred and eighty (180) days but only required to serve forty-five (45) days of the one hundred and eighty (180) day suspension. The remaining one hundred and thirty-five (135) days will be held in abeyance. In addition, the attorney was placed on probation for a period of two (2) years, with conditions.

The Disciplinary Commission ordered that the attorney receive a private reprimand for a violation of Rule 8.4 (d) and (g), Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. Opposing counsel in a domestic relations matter filed a Bar complaint against the attorney. After receiving the complaint the attorney wrote a letter to the Court intended to prejudice the Court against the complainant, accusing the complainant of calling the judge a derogatory name and making other disparaging remarks about her, in apparent retaliation for the complainants having filed the Bar complaint.

The Disciplinary Commission ordered that the attorney receive a private reprimand for violating Rules 1.4(a) and 8.4(g), Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. The attorney failed to adequately communicate with his client when the client made reasonable requests for information, including two certified letters from the client requesting an itemized statement of fees earned.