Ante Upped

A District of Columbia bar disciplinary case that started out as an informal admonition, which the attorney rejected, has now resulted in a hearing committee recomendation for a two-year suspension with fitness.

The bar case involved two matters, one of which related to litigation between the accused attorney and his residential landlord.

The sanction was influenced by findings that he had given false testimony in the disciplinary proceedings and displayed a defiant and unrepentant attitude

Throughout the course of this disciplinary proceeding, Respondent resorted to some of the same improper tactics that he employed in the underlying matters. For example, he filed a meritless motion to quash a subpoena for documents and records clearly relevant to matters investigated by Bar counsel which he had previously agreed to provide and, after his motion was denied and the deadline for producing the documents had passed, filed a motion seeking to re-litigate the issues already decided…

When asked if he would do anything differently, he testified he would not.

The attorney also walked out of the hearing on the third day and called part of the case “a collosal waste of [his] time.”

The case is In re Andre Barber and can be found through this link. (Mike Frisch)