Michigan Supreme Court Denys Review In False Documents Case

The Michigan Supreme Court denied review in a case where the Attorney Discipline Board had increased a suspension from 60 to 120 days. The attorney had been conviction of driving while impaired. He then violated probation by testing positive for alcohol, failing to document attendance at court-ordered meetings and falsifying attendance sheets for AA meetings.

Chief Justice Young dissented from the denial of review, and would impose a suspension of 180 days “requiring the [attorney] to demonstrate affirmatively that he is worthy of reinstatement…” The Chief Justice viewed the deliberate fabrication of documents to mislead the court that had imposed probation as conduct that requires a more severe sanction. (Mike Frisch)