Kentucky Bar Ass'n v. Cartee

Summary

The Kentucky Supreme Court disbarred Rita Lynn Cartee after finding her guilty of failing to file a client's bankruptcy petition, return an unearned fee, and respond to disciplinary proceedings. The court relied on her repeated prior misconduct and ordered her to pay $64.04 in costs.

Holdings

1. Disbarment was warranted because Cartee's present misconduct, repeated similar misconduct, failure to respond to clients and disciplinary authorities, and failure to maintain a current address demonstrated an unmistakable pattern of neglect and showed that prior suspensions had not deterred her conduct.
2. The court accepted the Board of Governors' recommendation and ordered that Cartee be disbarred from practicing law in Kentucky and pay $64.04 in costs.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Cartee should be disbarred based on her three counts of professional misconduct, her repeated failure to respond to disciplinary proceedings, and her prior disciplinary history.
2. Whether the Board of Governors' recommendation of disbarment should be accepted rather than imposing an additional suspension.

Disposition

other