Disciplinary History

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of 91-days by order of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar effective April 17, 2012 for a violation of Rule 1.15(a), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney initially pled guilty on March 25, 2011, with the suspension being deferred pending successful completion of a two-year period of probation. Thereafter, the attorney violated the terms of his probation. The Office of General Counsel filed a Motion to Revoke Probation and the attorney filed an answer admitting to the conduct and to violating probation. The Disciplinary Commission granted the Office of General Counsel’s Motion to Revoke Probation, which placed the 91-day suspension into effect.

[Landers admitted that he negotiated a $300.00 check, which he claimed was for fees due, but the check was not signed by the client and Landers could not produce other evidence of authority to negotiate the check. Landers acknowledged that he was required to hold the unsigned check, which was the property of his client, in trust and that his failure to do so was a violation of Rule 1.15, Ala. R. Prof. C.]

An attorney was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, with an effective date retroactive to April 17, 2012, the date of the attorney’s previously ordered interim suspension. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the January 22, 2013 Order on Consent to Disbarment of Panel I of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar. The attorney consented to disbarment based upon a pending investigation into his handling of lender and/or third-party funds in his trust account. [Rule 23a, Ala. R. Disc. P.]

The attorney was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, effective April 16, 2012, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the April 16, 2012, Order of Panel III of the Disciplinary Board of the Alabama State Bar. In the case, the attorney failed to file an answer to formal charges and as a result, by default, was found guilty of violating Rules 3.3(a)(3), 3.4(b), 8.4(a), 8.4(c), 8.4(d), and 8.4(g), Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. After the attorney failed to appear at the hearing to determine discipline, the Disciplinary Board ordered that the attorney be disbarred.

The attorney was suspended for 91 days by Order of the Disciplinary Commission, effective 3/30/12. The suspension was ordered held in abeyance & she was placed on probation for 2 yrs. The DC Order was based upon R/A’s Conditional Guilty Plea to violations of Rules 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.4(b), 1.15(a), 1.15(g), & 8.4(g), Ala R Prof C. R/A was hired to represent a client in a divorce in July of 2009. The client’s deposition was taken, but not completed. A court order was issued requiring the attorney and her client to supply opposing counsel a list of all bank accounts with account numbers. In August of 2009, opposing counsel filed a motion requesting the court to enter a show cause order to R/A & her client for failing to comply with the court’s order. The attorney failed to file a response to the motion. Later, in August of 2009, the attorney’s client was to reappear for his deposition. Neither R/A nor the client appeared for the deposition. Thereafter, opposing counsel filed a motion to compel and for sanctions as a result of R/A’s client’s failure to appear for the deposition. Subsequently, the court issued an order giving R/A 7 days to respond to the motion to compel & for sanctions. R/A again failed to respond. In September of 2009, R/A filed a motion to withdraw as counsel for her client, & the court issued an order that R/A would be allowed to withdraw from the case, only after she appeared for an 10/15/09 hearing. While R/A’s client appeared at the hearing with new counsel, R/A did not appear

The attorney was ordered to receive a public reprimand without general publication for violations of Rules 1.9(a) and 8.4(a), Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. In February 2010, the attorney was appointed to represent a defendant after he and a co-defendant were arrested and charged with Robbery 1st degree. The defendant insisted that he was not with the co-defendant at the time of the robbery. However, the co-defendant had already confessed to law enforcement and alleged that the defendant was with him and participated in the robbery. At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, the case was bound over to the grand jury and the defendant was subsequently indicted. Due to scheduling conflicts, the attorney was late for the defendant’s arraignment, and a new attorney was appointed to represent the defendant. Six months later, the attorney was contacted by the co-defendant’s father about representing his son on the same Robbery 1st charge. The attorney agreed to represent the co-defendant as he did not recall previously representing the other defendant. The attorney then negotiated a plea deal for the co-defendant. Since the filing of the bar complaint, the attorney moved to withdraw from representing the co-defendant and asked another attorney to represent the co-defendant at sentencing.

The attorney was interimly suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama pursuant to Rules 8(c) and 20(a), Ala. R. Disc. P., by order of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar effective March 22, 2012. The Disciplinary Commission’s order was based on a petition filed by the Office of General Counsel evidencing that probable cause exists that the attorney has misappropriated and mismanaged client trust funds.

An attorney was disbarred from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, effective March 21, 2012, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama. The Supreme Court entered its order based on the attorney's consent to disbarment. The attorneys' consent to disbarment was based on pending investigations concerning the mishandling or misappropriation of client funds. Rule 23a, Ala. R. Disc. P.

The attorney was summarily suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama pursuant to Rules 8(e) and 20(a), Alabama Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, by order of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar effective March 20, 2012. The order of the Disciplinary Commission was based on a petition filed by the Office of General Counsel evidencing that the attorney had failed to respond to requests for information from a disciplinary authority.

On March 27, 2012, the attorney received a private reprimand for a violation of Rule 1.15(a), Ala. R. Prof. C. On July 15, 2011, a check in the amount of $375.00 drawn on the respondent attorney’s trust account was returned for insufficient funds. The respondent attorney explained that four checks were mistakenly written on his trust account when they should have been written on his office account; that his trust account checks and office account checks are similar in design and appearance, but slightly different in color, and that the checks were normally written by a computer program which was not working at the time and the checks had been prepared by hand. The respondent replaced the funds deducted from his trust account and took steps in insure that it would not happen again.

The attorney was summarily suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective March 14, 2012. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the Disciplinary Commission’s Order finding that the attorney had failed to respond to a request for information concerning a disciplinary matter. [Rule 20(a), Ala. R. Disc. P.]

On February 2013, an attorney received a private reprimand for violations of Rules 3.2, 3.3, 3.4(a), 4.4(a), & 8.4(d), Ala. R. Prof. C. In 2011, the attorney represented a client in probate court & final settlement petition hearing was set for 6/29/2011. Immediately prior to the hearing regarding discovery on 6/27/11, the attorney petitioned to remove to the case to circuit court & opposing counsel opposed. The attorney conceded that her removal petition was improper & the removal petition was withdrawn. The case was returned to probate court. Opposing counsel filed a motion seeking sanctions against the attorney. The attorney did not offer anything of substance in response to the motion. The Court’s Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law & Order stated that the attorney had previously engaged in similar activity; did not timely respond to discovery; did not timely filing required pleadings; did not timely appearing at scheduled hearings; did not appearing at scheduled hearings; & did not notify clients of scheduled hearings. The probate court’s ruling stated the removal petition filed by the attorney was intended for improper delay & represented an effort to “forum shop.” There were no legal grounds to support the removal petition. As a result, the attorney caused her client & opposing party unnecessary legal fees.

An attorney was interimly suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama pursuant to Rules 8(c) & 20(a), Ala. R. Disc. P., by order of the Disciplinary Commission of the Alabama State Bar effective 2/24/12. The attorney was initially interimly suspended on 10/27/11, for failure to properly maintain his trust account as required by Rule 1.15, Ala. R. Disc. P. Thereafter, the attorney filed a petition for dissolution of interim suspension & a hearing was held in the matter on 11/1/11. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Disciplinary Commission entered an order conditionally staying the attorney’s interim suspension retroactively to 10/27/11. The attoreny was warned at the 11/1/11 hearing that strict compliance with Rule 1.15, Ala. R. Prof. C., was required as a condition of the stay of his interim suspension. On 2/15/12, the Office of General Counsel filed a motion to reinstate the interim suspension based on evidence proving that the attorney had overdrawn his trust account & that his trust account was not properly reconciled. On 2/24/12, the Disciplinary Commission entered an order reinstating the attorney’s interim suspension for violating the conditions of the conditional stay.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in Alabama by order of the Alabama Supreme Court for a period of 91 days effective February 24, 2012. The Supreme Court entered its order based upon the decision of the Disciplinary Board, Panel III, of the Alabama State Bar wherein the attorney was found guilty of violating Rules 1.1, 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.4(b), 1.15(a), 1.15(b), 1.15(j), 8.1(a), 8.1(b) & 8.4 (a), (c) & (g), Ala. R. Prof. C. In a case, the attorney admitted & plead guilty to violations of Rules 1.1, 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.4(b), 8.1(a) & 8.4(a), (c) & (g), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney was retained to represent a client in a case involving a right-of-way & inverse condemnation. Summary judgment was granted in favor of the defendant on November 24, 2004. The attorney timely filed a post-judgment motion, which was denied on January 28, 2005. Thereafter, the client had difficulty reaching the attorney. The attorney untimely filed a notice of appeal in the client’s case and it was dismissed as untimely filed. The attorney did not communicate with the client concerning her case; did not communicate with her regarding the appeal & his failure to timely file notice of appeal and/or the dismissal of the appeal; made material misrepresentations of facts to the client concerning her case; omitted material facts regarding the status of her case; &, made material misrepresentations of fact to the investigators during the course of the investigation of the bar grievance filed against him.

On February 24, 2014, an attorney received a private reprimand for violating Rules 1.4(a), 1.4(b), 1.5(b), and 8.4(c), Ala. R. Prof. C. In April of 2010, the attorney was retained to represent a client in a criminal matter for a retainer fee of $35,000.00. After no activity occurred in the case for over a year, the client requested a refund of the retainer fee. The attorney informed the client that retainers on criminal matters were non-refundable and refused to refund any portion of the fee. In addition, the fee agreement signed by the complainant contained impermissible language that the retainer fee was non-refundable.

The attorney was suspended from the practice of law in the State of Alabama for a period of 91 days, by Order of the Supreme Court of Alabama, effective Feb. 13, 2012, which based its decision upon the Disciplinary Commission’s acceptance of the attorney's Conditional Guilty Plea wherein the attorney pled guilty to violating Rules 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.4(b), and 8.4(g). The attorney was previously interimly suspended on Feb. 13, 2012, and has not been reinstated. In this case, the attorney pled guilty to violating Rule 8.4(g), Ala. R. Prof. C. The attorney submitted a check for $300.00 to the Bar as payment for her occupational license. The check was returned for insufficient funds. The attorney was notified in writing by the Admissions Department of the check being dishonored; however, the attorney failed to respond to the Admissions Department, and the matter was referred to the Office of General Counsel. The Office of General Counsel wrote to the attorney advising her that her dues check had been dishonored, and she had ten days to tender payment in full. The attorney failed to respond.