Suspension For Practice And Non- Practice Related Violations

Two investigated matters led to an attorney’s suspension by the South Carolina Supreme Court

Following a traffic stop on July 11, 2018, Respondent was arrested and charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance. Items located in Respondent’s vehicle included a plastic bag with 5 suspected ecstasy pills; a plastic bag with five white pills believed to be hydrocodone pills; a plastic bag with an amount of suspected “molly”; and two plastic bags containing approximately 8 grams of an item suspected to be cocaine. Also located in the vehicle was a marijuana pipe containing a small amount of marijuana and a white pill bottle containing suspected marijuana. The charges were dismissed by the Solicitor’s office on June 12, 2019, due to concerns regarding the legality and constitutionality of the stop and search.

Respondent failed to notify the Commission in writing within fifteen days of being arrested and charged.

The other charges involved bankruptcy matters

The Trustee filed motions pursuant to 11 U.S.C. §§ 526(c), 329(b), and 105(a), seeking to terminate Respondent as counsel in 18 cases and to require that Respondent forfeit any remaining attorney’s fees to be paid to her under the debtors’ confirmed Chapter 13 plans. Respondent
failed to respond to any of the motions, failed to attend any of the hearings, and failed to contact the Trustee’s office. Respondent was removed from all cases pending in the Bankruptcy Court by orders that either terminated her services or substituted other counsel. Four days after the Trustee’s complaint was submitted to ODC, Respondent was placed on interim suspension. 

The agreed discipline is a three-year suspension imposed as of the date of the interim suspension. (Mike Frisch)