Bin Laden

Anorther disciplinary summary from the California Bar Journal

PATRICK THOMAS SANTOS [#265982], 33, of North Hollywood, was placed on two years’ probation and faces a one-year suspension if he fails to comply with the terms of his probation. The order was effective Oct. 16, 2015.

He stipulated that he drove to the residence of the girlfriend of a planned defendant in a lawsuit Santos had not yet filed and served. Santos rummaged through and removed various documents from the recycling bin in the girlfriend’s driveway, without her permission. A neighbor photographed the incident. The Los Angeles city attorney’s office charged Santos with misdemeanor tampering with refuse and trespass; he was found guilty. Santos told a hearing officer he did not know he was prohibited from going through the recycling bin and asked that the city attorney’s office tell the girlfriend that he would drop the civil suit against the planned defendant if she dropped the criminal charges. The matter did not involve moral turpitude but did involve misconduct warranting discipline.

In aggravation, Santos had been disciplined for failure to perform legal services and other misdeeds in a collections case which ended with a default judgment against his client. That resulted in harm to the client. Santos also displayed indifference in his interactions with the hearing officer that showed a lack of insight into his wrongful conduct.

In mitigation, he provided letters from nine character witnesses, though some of them were unaware of Santos’ prior discipline. He also signed a pretrial stipulation.

(Mike Frisch)