Multiple Violations Draw Suspension

The Minnesota Supreme Court accepted a consent sanction and imposed a six-month suspension on these agreed violations

The Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility has filed a petition for disciplinary action and a supplementary petition for disciplinary action alleging that respondent Darrell G. Carter has committed professional misconduct warranting public discipline—namely, utilizing a fee agreement containing prohibited language, failing to deposit and maintain in trust unearned client funds in three matters, failing to explain the basis and rate of the fee to a client, failing to provide two clients an account of his use of their legal fees, failing to communicate with three clients, failing to comply with court orders pertaining to discovery in two matters, failing to diligently represent four clients, failing to expedite litigation in three matters, engaging in an improper ex parte communication with a court, failing to clarify his role when dealing with an unrepresented party, making derogatory statements about an opposing party that had no relevance to the matter, revealing a prospective client’s confidential information without authorization, representing a client despite a conflict of interest with a prospective client, failing to promptly return a client’s file upon request, failing to obtain receipts countersigned by the payor for cash payments of legal fees, being convicted of gross-misdemeanor test-refusal, seeking to contact and making a statement implying an ability to influence a government
official in the context of his arrest for driving while impaired, failing to appear at two court hearings, engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice, knowingly making false statements to a client, an unrepresented party, and the Director, and failing to cooperate and to fully cooperate with disciplinary investigations.

(Mike Frisch)