Disciplinary History

An attorney received a private reprimand on December 23, 2013, for violating Rule 1.3, Ala. R. Prof. C. On or about January 12, 2012, the respondent attorney failed to attend a docket call in District Court as well as a subsequent show cause hearing on March 5, 2012. The respondent attorney willfully neglected a legal matter entrusted to her.

The attorney received a private reprimand on December 20, 2013, for violations of Rules 1.3, 1.15(b), and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C. On or about September 2006, the respondent attorney was hired by a client to file an asbestos-related lawsuit. During the course of this representation the respondent attorney failed to file a particular claim until January of 2009 after a responsible defendant filed for bankruptcy protection. If the respondent attorney had filed this claim during the two-plus years he represented the client but before the defendant filed bankruptcy, the monetary award to the client would have been greater. Additionally, although requested by the client, the respondent attorney failed to render a full accounting of the settlement funds which would allow them to determine if costs were related to their case. Lastly, the respondent attorney passed on expenses to the client that included excessive travel costs. The respondent attorney violated Rule 1.3 because he willfully neglected a legal matter entrusted to him, violated Rule 1.15(b) because he failed to provide a full accounting when requested by the client, and violated Rule 8.4(g) because he passed on excessive travel costs to the client.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of 91 days effective December 19, 2013, which suspension was deferred pending successful completion of a two-year probationary period. On December 19, 2013, the Disciplinary Commission accepted the attorney's Conditional Guilty Plea to violations of Rules 1.3, 8.1(a) and (b), and 8.4(a) and (g), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney admitted that he did not timely file an appellant’s brief in an appointed criminal matter, and subsequently failed to correct the deficiency within the time provided by the court’s notice. The attorney further admitted that he failed to respond to requests for information from a disciplinary authority, resulting in a summary suspension, and that when he did respond to the Bar’s requests for information, his responses included false or misleading information.

An attorney was interimly suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama by order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective December 18, 2013, pursuant to Rule 20a, Ala. R. Disc. P. The Supreme Court entered its Order based upon the December 18, 2013 Order of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar in response to a petition filed by the Office of General Counsel evidencing that the attorney's conduct is causing, or is likely to cause, immediate and serious injury to a client or to the public.

An attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of ninety-one (91) days, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective December 17, 2013. 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 violations of Rules 1.15(a), 1.15(b), 1.15(c), 1.16(d), 8.4(a), and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C. In addition to a ninety-one (91) day suspension, the attorney was ordered to make restitution of $766.00 to the client in one case, and $766.00 to the client in another case.

An attorney received a private reprimand on December 17, 2013 for a violation of Rule 1.3, Ala. R. Prof. C. On or about July 23, 2012, the Office of General Counsel received a copy of an order entered by the Presiding Judge of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals removing the respondent attorney as counsel for a client. Moreover, the order noted the respondent attorney both failed to file a brief for his client in the required time and failed to correct this deficiency within the time provided by the court’s prior notice.

The attorney received a private reprimand on December 17, 2013, for violations of Rules 1.3, 1.4(a) and 1.4(b), Ala. R. Prof. C. In or about October of 2010, the respondent attorney agreed to represent a client in two separate lawsuits. Because the respondent attorney failed to appear at a hearing for his client, the client lost her nursing license. Additionally, the respondent attorney failed to file any pleading in response to a motion for summary judgment filed by the defendant in one of the two lawsuits. Throughout the course of the representation, the respondent attorney failed to communicate with his client.

An attorney received a private reprimand on December 17, 2013, for violating Rules 8.4(a) and (g), Ala. R. Prof. C. On or about June 8, 2010, the respondent attorney pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of alcohol.

An attorney was disbarred from the practice of law in Alabama by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, pursuant to Rule 23a, Ala. R. Disc. P. on January 9, 2014, effective December 17, 2013. The Supreme Court entered its order, based upon the December 17, 2013 order by Panel I of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar accepting the attorney's Consent to Disbarment. The attorney consented to disbarment based upon a pending Bar investigation that he mishandled or misappropriated client funds on multiple occasions.

The attorney, on December 11, 2013, received a private reprimand for violations of Rules 1.5, 1.15 and 1.16(d), Ala. R. Prof. C. The respondent attorney was retained to represent a client in a criminal matter. The respondent attorney charged a $25,000.00, fee which he described as “a one-time fixed rate and not refundable” and a “flat fee,” to represent the client against any charges which may be filed. The respondent attorney did not enter into a fee agreement with the individual who paid the fee nor did he deposit the unearned portion of the fee in his trust account. After being terminated, the respondent attorney failed to refund the unearned portion of the fee.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of ninety (90) days, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective December 10, 2013. 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 1.8(b), 1.11(a), 1.11(b), and 4.2, Ala. R. Prof. C. At the expiration of the ninety (90) day suspension, the attorney will automatically be reinstated to practice law in the State of Alabama. In 2009, while serving as a part-time Assistant District Attorney, the attorney was asked to attend a press conference involving three individuals who had been arrested for the burning deaths of two individuals, and the severe burning of a third victim. After the press conference, the attorney agreed to represent the third victim in a civil suit regarding his injuries. After being retained, the attorney obtained a copy of the ABI file related to the criminal matter, for use in the civil case. During this time, the attorney also gained access to two of the co-defendants in the criminal case, who were being held in the county jail. The attorney interviewed both men regarding their roles in the burnings without obtaining the consent of their criminal defense lawyer prior to speaking with them.

The attorney received a private reprimand on 12/6/2013, for violating Rule 1.3, Ala. R. Prof. C. In or about August of 2011, the attorney was appointed to represent a client in multiple criminal cases. After the client was convicted and then sentenced on December 8, 2011, the respondent attorney failed to file a notice of appeal within the 42 days required by Rule 4(b)(1), A.R.App.P. Additionally, even after receiving an order from the Court of Criminal Appeals on January 26, 2012 allowing the respondent attorney 14 days to show cause why his client’s appeal should not be dismissed as untimely filed, the respondent attorney failed to respond. As a result, on February 24, 2012, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals issued an order dismissing the client’s appeal as untimely filed. With this conduct, the respondent attorney violated Rule 1.3 by willfully neglecting his client’s appeal.

The attorney was interimly suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama pursuant to Rule 20(a), Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, by order of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar, effective November 25, 2013. The order of the Disciplinary Commission was based on a petition filed by the Office of General Counsel evidencing the attorney was engaging in activities that were prejudicial to the administration of justice and that his continued practice of law was likely to cause substantial, immediate and serious harm to a client or to the public.

An attorney was summarily suspended, pursuant to Rule 20(a), Ala. R. Disc. P., from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective November 20, 2013. The Supreme Court entered its Order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s Order granting the Office of General Counsel’s Petition for Summary Suspension, based on the attorney's failure to appear for a public reprimand with general publication before the Alabama State Bar’s Board of Bar Commissioners.

An attorney was suspended from the practice of law in Alabama for a period of ninety-one (91) days by the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective November 1, 2013. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney's conditional guilty plea, wherein the attorney pleaded guilty to violating Rules 1.15(b), 8.1(b), 8.4(a), 8.4(c) and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C.,in one case and Rules 1.3, 8.1(b), 8.4(a) and 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C., in another matter. In one case, the attorney admitted she was inadvertently issued a check from the Social Security Administration and repeatedly failed to return the funds. In another matter, the attorney admitted she did not diligently pursue her client’s case by requesting two extensions of time to file a brief in connection with her client’s appeal of the termination of his parental rights and still failing to file the required appeal brief with the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. In both matters the attorney admitted she failed to respond to the Office of General Counsel. The attorney was initially summarily suspended on September 20, 2013, for her failure to respond to the Office of General Counsel in regard to these disciplinary matters. The summary suspension was dissolved in 2013 pursuant to the attonrey's conditional guilty plea to the ninety-one (91) day suspension.