E-Mail From Court Blocked, Attorney Sanctioned

An attorney who was suspended for nine months by the Superior Court of North Carolina received the same sanction as reciprocal discipline from the Louisiana Supreme Court. The attorney was a party plaintiff in a suit assigned to business court in Wake County, North Carolina.

 The attorney signed a case management report by which she agreed to use the court’s electronic filing system and to communicate by e-mail. Then, “[a]pproximately one year later, respondent intentionally blocked all e-mails from the court’s site, preventing her from receiving court orders and communications.”

As a result of the ensuing failures to deal with court obligations, the attorney was ordered to show cause why she should not be held in contempt. She failed to appear at the show cause hearing.

The Louisiana court found no basis to impose a sanction different from that imposed in North Carolina. (Mike Frisch)