Eleven Dollars

A stayed but prospective six-month suspension has been imposed by the Kentucky Supreme Court based on a sanction imposed in Ohio

Riggs-Horton was admitted to practice law in this Commonwealth on May 1, 2008. On November 20, 2019, the Supreme Court of Ohio suspended Riggs-Horton for six months for violating Ohio Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4(b) (prohibiting a lawyer from committing an act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty or trustworthiness). Riggs-Horton admitted to passing $11.00 in currency to Gary Chandler while he was incarcerated in the Campbell County Jail. Riggs-Horton was in a romantic and professional relationship with Chandler. It was during her first professional visit to the jail that the misconduct occurred. Riggs-Horton was subsequently convicted in Campbell County, Kentucky, for promoting contraband in the second degree in violation of KRS 520.060(1)(a). It was that conviction which formed the basis for Ohio’s disciplinary proceedings. Riggs-Horton self-reported her conduct and her disciplinary case in Kentucky has been in abeyance pending resolution of the Ohio proceedings.

Timing

Here, because the Ohio probated suspension has run its course, running the Kentucky probated suspension concurrently with the Ohio discipline would result in “virtually no penalty” for her violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Therefore, Riggs-Horton’s probated suspension will begin to run from the date of entry of this Opinion and Order.

(Mike Frisch)