Failure To Appear

The Review Department of the California State Bar Court has recommended a three year suspension, with execution stayed, but with three years probation that includes an actual suspension of 18 months (this is how the order reads) where “during a one-month period, an attorney lost her ethical footing.” The attorney’s specialty was juvenile dependency proceedings.  After the juvenile court presiding judge decided to reorganize the appointment process, the attorney was the losing bidder on a contract to take all such cases. She then submitted to the juvenile court a document styled “In re: All My Cases” in order to “effectuate her resignation” from 319 pending cases. Although the document was returned, she stopped appearing in her cases, which resulted in some indigent clients appearing without counsel. This led to a contempt proceeding and the bar action. (Mike Frisch)