Suspended A Second Time For Bar Admission Misconduct

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court gave an attorney his second year and a day suspension for misconduct in applying for admission to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,

Ironically, suspension number one also involved a bar admission failure to disclose. He had failed to disclose an expunged arrest for soliciting a prostitute (actually an undercover police officer) in applying to the Pennsylvania Bar.

Here, the Disciplinary Board found

Respondent’s misconduct arose in the course of his application for admission to federal court. Respondent knowingly failed to comply with the requirements for admission to practice law before the EDPA, falsely swore on his Application for Admission that he had complied with the admissions requirements, filed the Application, which contained misrepresentations of material fact, with the clerk’s office and was admitted to the Bar of the EDPA under false pretenses. Two Rule to Show Cause hearings were held before a panel of federal judges where Respondent failed to voluntarily admit any of his transgressions. On the advice of counsel, he orally withdrew his Application for Admission at the conclusion of the second day of hearings…

Respondent displayed a lack of sincere remorse and a failure to recognize responsibility that constitute aggravating factors. Respondent was asked several times by Petitioner, the Hearing Committee and his own counsel whether he accepted responsibility for his actions. Throughout the hearing he deflected full responsibility by apportioning blame to Mr. Beck and to Mr. Crane, and even to the application itself. By dodging responsibility, he appeared cavalier and dismissive of his conduct. In the end, Respondent did accept responsibility when pointedly asked by his counsel, but unfortunately Respondent left a lingering impression that such acceptance was grudgingly given.

(Mike Frisch)