Summary
The South Carolina Supreme Court accepted an attorney’s Agreement for Discipline by Consent and issued a public reprimand. The misconduct involved errors and delay in real estate matters, inappropriate conduct and lack of communication in a domestic matter, failure to respond to disciplinary authorities, and unpaid federal employer-withholding tax liens; the attorney also agreed to resign from the South Carolina Bar.
Topics
Practice areas
Questions Presented
- Whether the court should accept the Agreement for Discipline by Consent after respondent admitted violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct and the Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement.
- What sanction should be imposed in light of respondent's admitted misconduct and agreement to resign from the South Carolina Bar.
Holdings
- The court accepted the Agreement for Discipline by Consent because respondent fully acknowledged that his conduct violated the Rules of Professional Conduct and the Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement.
- The court imposed a public reprimand and accepted respondent's resignation from membership in the South Carolina Bar.
Key quotations
“We accept the agreement and issue a public reprimand.” (at 8)
“In light of respondent’s resignation from the South Carolina Bar, we accept this agreement and publicly reprimand respondent.” (at 11)
Factual background
Respondent committed misconduct in several matters, including failing to prepare a deed correctly, failing to address an unsatisfied lien in a real estate transaction, and neglecting a domestic-matter client. In the domestic matter, respondent made inappropriate and sexually suggestive remarks, falsely stated that a hearing had been scheduled, failed to return calls, and did not respond to a fee-refund request. Respondent also failed to respond timely to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel and had outstanding employer-withholding-tax liens, including an unsatisfied federal lien.
Procedural history
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel and respondent entered into an Agreement for Discipline by Consent under Rule 21 of the Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement. The agreement was presented to the Supreme Court of South Carolina, which accepted it and imposed a public reprimand in light of respondent's resignation from the South Carolina Bar.