June 2016 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 June 2016.

Louisiana Supreme Court

1. Christopher Scott Maxwell. The court accepted a joint petition for consent discipline and suspended the respondent for one-year and one-day, all deferred.  The respondent was arrested and charged for driving under the influence.
2. Baron Maurice Roberson. The court accepted a joint petition for consent discipline and suspended the respondent for six months, all deferred.  The court also placed the respondent on probation for one-year and noted that he neglected a legal matter, allowed it to prescribe, and failed to communicate with a client.
3. Walter P. Reed. The court suspended the respondent from the practice of law on an interim basis in the wake of a federal felony conviction.
4. Jan Maselli Mann. The court granted a joint petition for transfer to disability inactive status, and deferred all disciplinary proceedings until the respondent resumes active status.
5. Carl N. Finley. The court accepted a joint petition for consent discipline and suspended the respondent for three-years, with one year.  The respondent acknowledged that he failed to maintain a client trust account, engaged in improper fee sharing with non-lawyers, and facilitated the unauthorized practice of law in Louisiana by a California lawyer and non-lawyer staff.
6. David K. Buie. The court accepted a joint petition for consent discipline and publicly reprimanded the respondent.  The respondent acknowledged that he failed to promptly return a client’s file, and failed to cooperate with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel investigation.
7. Ericka Schexnayder Brignac. The court accepted a joint petition for consent discipline and suspended the respondent for one-year and one-day. The court fully deferred the suspension and placed the respondent on supervised probation for a period of two-years. The respondent acknowledged that she violated the following provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct: Rules 1.5(f)(3)(4) and 1.15(a)(b)(c)(d).
8. Chester Quinton Bell. The court granted a petition for interim suspension for threat of harm filed by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, and suspended the respondent on an interim basis.
9. Walter I. Willard. The court granted a joint petition for transfer to disability inactive status, and deferred all disciplinary proceedings until the respondent resumes active status.
10. Jeffery N. Aldous. The court accepted a petition by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel seeking the imposition of reciprocal discipline imposed by the Utah Supreme Court of public reprimand.  The Utah Supreme Court found that the respondent failed to communicate with a client after receiving a retainer and failed to cooperate with the Ethics and Discipline Committee of the Utah Supreme Court during an investigation.
11. Kelly P. Ward. The court accepted a petition by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel seeking the imposition of reciprocal discipline imposed by the Supreme Court of Illinois of two-years suspension from the practice of law.  The respondent pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of leaving the scene of an accident.  After this incident, the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission placed the respondent on probation and ordered him not to consume alcohol, not to enter an establishment that sells alcohol, and to submit to drug and alcohol testing.  He was later found to be drinking and subsequently suspended.
12. Richard J. Brazan, Jr.  The court accepted a joint petition for consent discipline and suspended the respondent for six months, all deferred.  The respondent acknowledged that he advised his client to improperly obtain documents from an opposing party to use in preparing discovery.
13. Todd Cooper Martin. The court accepted a joint petition for consent discipline and suspended the respondent for one-year and one-day, all but six months deferred. Further, the court placed the respondent on two-years probation and noted that he mishandled client trust accounts and violated Rules 1.15, 1.16, 8.4(a), and 8.4(d) of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
14. Daniel E. Becnel Jr. The court granted a petition for transfer to disability inactive status filed by the curatrix for the respondent.
15. Judge J. Robin Free. The court suspended 18th J.D.C. Judge J. Robin Free without pay for a period of one year. Judge Free “interrupted a private meeting between the family members of the victims and members of the District Attorney’s Office following a hearing in a criminal case before him, and made an inappropriate comment; abused his contempt authority and failed to follow the proper procedures for the punishment of contempt in two cases; and made inappropriate comments in seven criminal cases and exhibited a lack of proper decorum, demeanor, and temperament.” Two justices dissented, and stated that they would have imposed a lesser sanction.
16. Judge James J. Best. The court suspended 18th J.D.C. Judge James J. Best without pay for a period of fifteen days. The court held that Judge Best mishandled a probation hearing by proceeding in the absence of the Attorney General’s office and by making improper personal observations about a probationer with whom he was personally acquainted. Said the court: “This mishandling–especially in the context of Judge Best’s acquaintance with [the probationer]–not only created an appearance of bias or prejudice in violation of Canon 3A(4), but also created an appearance of impropriety and undermined confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary in violation of Canon 2A.” Two justices dissented, and stated that they would have imposed a greater sanction.

Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board

1. James D. Mecca. The Board recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for a period of two-years, fully deferred.  The respondent pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Further, the respondent admitted that he obtained the marijuana in exchange for legal services.
2. Mitchel M. Evans II. The Board recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for a period of three-years and refund $1,050 to various clients.  The matter consisted of three consolidated formal charges and the alleged violations of the following Rules of Professional Conduct: 1.1(a), 1.3, 1.4(a)(3 & 4), 1.5(a-c), 1.5(f)(5), 1.15, 1.6, 3.4(a & b), 4.1(a & b) 8.1(a & c), and 8.4(a-d).

Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board Hearing Committees

1. Stacy Lynn Morris. Hearing Committee #8 recommended that the respondent be disbarred.  The Office of Disciplinary Counsel alleged that the respondent failed to pay a third-party medical provider in a timely fashion and failed to cooperate with the disciplinary authority. The respondent had already been suspended from the practice of law.
2. William Magee. Hearing Committee #62 recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for a period of six months, all deferred.  The Office of Disciplinary Counsel alleged the respondent created three false quitclaim deeds that were not properly executed or notarized.
3. Mark G. Simmons. Hearing Committee #42 recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for one-year and one-day, all deferred.  The respondent commingled client funds, overdrew his client trust account, and failed to cooperate with the investigation.
4. Charles Leopold Dirks III. Hearing Committee #26 recommended the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for sixty-days. The responded failed to oppose a motion for summary judgment filed against his client.
5. Kenneth Todd Wallace.   Hearing Committee #10 recommended that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law for one-year and one-day retroactive to the date of the respondent’s interim suspension.  The respondent inflated time entries on contingent-fee cases and closed matters to falsely increase his hours for internal purposes; he did not, however, send false bills to clients.
6. Peggy M. Hairston Robinson. Hearing Committee #52 recommended the respondent be disbarred. The respondent was charged and arrested on three felony theft charges, and convicted of one felony theft count.  Further, she engaged in the unauthorized practice of law after being suspended, and violated various conflict of interest rules, among other acts of misconduct.