An attorney was sanctioned with probation of one year and a 30-day suspension by the California State Bar for a criminal conviction.

He was suspended on an interim basis in November 2022. 

The incident is recounted in allegations summarized in an order of the United States District Court in the Southern District of California in a civil action transferred from Respondent’s bankruptcy

The incident took place on November 7, 2019, as the parties were emerging from the car wash at a Mobil gas station. (Compl. ¶ 6; see also ECF No. 18 ¶ 12.) When Lay began to exit the car wash, he found he could not leave because Grant was blocking the exit. (Compl. ¶ 7.) Lay honked his horn, but Grant did not respond. (Id.) Eventually, Lay exited his car and approached Grant to ask him to move his car. (Id. ¶ 8.) Grant, who was texting on his mobile phone, “responded with a barrage of abusive language, threatening harm to Lay.” (Id. ¶¶ 8–9.) Grant then exited his car and “struck [Lay] with a metal steering wheel security arm bar.” (Id. ¶ 10.) Grant chased Lay through the car wash parking lot and hit him on his “face, head, neck, shoulders, and about his body.” (Id. ¶ 11.) Lay was left bleeding and had a cut behind his left ear. (Id. ¶ 12.) His head/neck area was also bruised and became swollen and painful. (Id.) Lay required medical care, including numerous stitches to close the open wounds on his head. (Id.) Two car wash employees prevented Grant from leaving the scene and the San Diego Police Department arrived in response to a 911 emergency call. (Id. ¶ 13–14.).

As a result

In February 2020, Grant entered a guilty plea to the felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon (Cal. Pen. Code § 245(a)(1)), “including the admitted ‘personal use of a dangerous or deadly weapon’” (id. § 11927(c)(23)) in People v. Timothy Joseph Grant, Case No. SCD284113 (San Diego Superior Court). (ECF No. 18 ¶¶ 63–64.) As a result of his felony conviction, Grant, who is a California attorney, had his license to practice law suspended on an interim basis by the California State Bar on November 3, 2020. (ECF No. 29 at 2.)

The civil matter was subsequently returned to the bankruptcy court for a dischargeability hearing. (Mike Frisch)