In re Douglas R. Arntsen

Summary

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals held that Douglas R. Arntsen's New York convictions for first-degree grand larceny involved moral turpitude per se. The court ordered his mandatory disbarment under D.C. Code § 11-2503(a), effective immediately, with the disbarment period for reinstatement purposes beginning upon filing the required affidavit.

Holdings

1. A conviction for first-degree grand larceny under New York Penal Law § 155.42 involves moral turpitude per se because it is a theft offense.
2. Disbarment is mandatory under D.C. Code § 11-2503(a) when an attorney is convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude.
3. The court did not need to decide whether first-degree scheme to defraud inherently involves moral turpitude because the first-degree grand-larceny convictions independently required disbarment.

Questions Presented

1. Whether respondent's first-degree grand-larceny convictions under New York law involved moral turpitude per se.
2. Whether disbarment was mandatory under D.C. Code § 11-2503(a).
3. Whether the court needed to decide whether respondent's first-degree scheme-to-defraud conviction inherently involved moral turpitude.

Disposition

other