February 2017 Discipline

These lawyers were the subject of Louisiana Supreme Court disciplinary orders or Louisiana Attorney
Disciplinary Board recommendations that were made public during the month of February 2017.

Louisiana Supreme Court

1. Quenton I. White. The court granted a Petition for Reciprocal Discipline of disbarment filed by ODC after the respondent was disbarred in Tennessee.  The Supreme Court of Tennessee found that the respondent posed significant harm to the public because he misappropriated client funds, failed to provide competent representation, and failed to communicate with clients.
2. Cynthia Ann Sternberg. The court granted a Petition for Transfer to Disability Inactive Status.
3. Everett H. Mechem. The court granted a Petition for Reciprocal Discipline and suspended the respondent in Louisiana after his suspension in Tennessee.  The respondent was found guilty of the following crimes:  28-counts of wire fraud, two counts of Supplemental Security fraud, one count of theft of public property, and two counts of making false statements.
4. Olita Magee Domingue. The court accepted the respondent’s petition to permanently resign from the practice of law after an investigation by the ODC into various complaints. Among other allegations, the respondent allegedly mishandled client trust accounts, failed to provide accountings upon request, and failed to refund unearned fees.
5. Michael L. Thiel. The court suspended the respondent on an interim basis in response to an ODC Petition for Interim Suspension.
6. J. Renee Martin. The court granted an ODC Petition for Interim Suspension for Threat of Harm, and suspended the respondent from the practice of law effective immediately.
7. Frank J. Ferrara Jr. The court immediately reinstated the respondent to the practice of law subject to a two year period of supervised probation.

Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board

1. Mark Anthony Johnson. The Board recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for a period of one year and one day.  While a staff attorney with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the respondent became ineligible to practice law for registration and MCLE deficiencies. Furthermore, during its investigation the ODC discovered that the respondent had been arrested multiple times.
2. James Louis Fahrenholtz. The Board recommended that the respondent be disbarred from the practice of law.  The respondent was suspended from the practice of law on an interim basis in 2009 for the criminal acts of possessing stolen things and obstructing justice. Despite multiple requests to comply with the ODC investigation, the respondent failed to do so.
3. Keith D. Thornton. The Board recommended that the respondent be reinstated to the practice of law with a two year supervised probationary period and various other reporting requirements.

Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board Hearing Committees

1. Darryl L. Robertson. Hearing Committee #14 recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for a period of one year, with 6-months deferred. The committtee found that the respondent was not competent in Louisiana civil procedure, that he failed to file responsive pleadings in a civil matter, that he failed to communicate with his client, and that he failed to plead a viable claim in a personal-injury action.
2. Raymond Charles Burkart III. Hearing Committee #26 recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for a period of one year and one day. The ODC brought two separate charges against the respondent alleging that he unintentionally wrote an NSF check to reimburse a client for unearned fees, that he commingled and converted funds in a client trust account, and that he failed to communicate with ODC during its investigation.