Office of Disciplinary Counsel v. Weber

Summary

The Supreme Court of Hawaiʻi imposed reciprocal disbarment on Mark L. Weber after the Supreme Court of California disbarred him for stealing and altering firm checks and converting $11,126 to his own use. Weber did not respond to Hawaiʻi’s notice of reciprocal discipline, and the court ordered disbarment effective 30 days after entry, along with compliance and cost requirements.

Holdings

1. Reciprocal discipline is authorized and justified where the respondent has been disbarred in another jurisdiction, the underlying conduct would violate Hawai'i disciplinary rules and justify comparable discipline, and the respondent does not establish a reason why reciprocal discipline should not be imposed.
2. Disbarment is the appropriate reciprocal sanction for the underlying conduct.

Questions Presented

1. Whether reciprocal discipline should be imposed in Hawai'i based on Weber's disbarment by the Supreme Court of California.
2. Whether the underlying conduct would constitute violations of Hawai'i disciplinary rules and justify disbarment.
3. Whether Weber's failure to respond to the notice of reciprocal discipline warranted imposition of reciprocal disbarment.

Disposition

other