May 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 May 2017.

Louisiana Supreme Court

1. Hugh B. Exnicios, Jr. The court granted a joint Petition for Consent Discipline submitted by respondent and the ODC, and suspended the respondent for six months for mishandling his client trust account and for threatening to report a lawyer to the ODC in an effort to gain an advantage in a civil case. The court deferred the suspension entirely and imposed a one-year probationary period.
2. Dwight D. Poirrier. The court suspended the respondent from the practice of law for one year and one day after the ODC investigated allegations of respondent’s two arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol. The court deferred the suspension entirely and the placed the respondent on two-years of unsupervised probation.
3. Johnny S. Anzalone. In January 2013, respondent was arraigned due to a first offense DWI charge. A drug screening indicated positive results for cocaine and methadone. In March 2014, the respondent was found guilty of the DWI charge, and then a bench warrant was issued in Decemeber 2014, due to respondent’s failure to appear in court for monitoring. Respondent was also arrested for a second DWI offense in March 2014, when respondent admitted he was under the influence of meth. Before the ODC, respondent testified that he was conditionally admitted to practice, subject to a two-year probation monitored by the JLAP. The court suspended the respondent for one year and one day, with no time deferred, with the requirement for respondent to apply for reinstatement.
4. Richard F. Price, Jr. The court granted respondent’s request for permanent resignation from the practice in lieu of discipline. The request was made in response to the ODC’s allegations of serious attorney misconduct, including commingling and conversion of client funds.
5. Anna C. Simmons. The court suspended the respondent from the practice for six months, which the court deffered subject to supervised probation of two-years. The respondent allegedly mishandled her client trust account by commingling client funds with her personal funds. Respondent and the ODC submitted a joint petition for consent discipline prior to the filing of formal charges by the ODC.
6. Stacy Lynn Morris. The court suspended the respondent for a period of three years, which suspension will run consecutively to a previously imposed suspension. The court also ordered the respondent to make full restitution to her client. In December 2013, the respondent disbursed settlement funds to her client, withholding the sum for medical expenses, but never paid the third-party medical provider.
7. Candace P. Howay. The court suspended the respondent for one year and one day, and to pay restitution to her former firm. In the process of switching firms, respondent’s previous firm found evidence of conversion of funds.
8. James Paul Johnson. The court suspended the respondent on an interim basis.
9. Richard C. Teissier. The court denied respondent’s claim of inability to defend and ordered the reinstatement of respondent to active status from interim disability inactive status.
10. George William Jarman. The court granted respondent’s request for permanent resignation in lieu of discipline, after respondent was convicted on child-pornography related charges.
11. Toby James Aucoin. The court suspended the respondent for one year and one day and to make restitution. Respondent’s charges alleged by the ODC included failure to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client, failure to communicate with a client, fee arrangements, obligations upon termination of the representation.

Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board

1. Mignonne Griffing. The Board recommend that respondent be suspended for six months, to be fully deferred upon completion of one year of unsupervised probation and an additional twenty hours of CLE. The allegations against respondent included conflicts of interest, misconduct, fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, as well as conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.

LADB Hearing Committees

1. Timon V. Webre. Hearing Committee #10 recommended a one year and one day suspension, fully deferred upon the respondent’s attendance of classes on Trust Accounting and Law Office Management, as well as hiring a CPA. The respondent deposited a check into his personal account instead of into a client trust account, and respondent withdrew funds from the client trust account.
2. Paul E. Brown. Hearing Committee #27 recommended a suspension of one year and one day, fully deferred with a 5-year JLAP agreement, as well as an agreement to stop using pain and sleep aids. Respondent failed to report his and arrests and convictions for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, careless operation of a motor vehicle, and negligent vehicular injuring. Additionally, respondent had period of opiate and sedative dependencies, which led to two DUI arrests.
3. James A. Gray, II. Hearing Committee #12 recommended that the respondent be suspended for two years for failing to cooperate with the ODC. The ODC alleged that respondent failed to represent his client. Hearing Committee #12 recommended a two year suspension instead of the baseline sanction of one year because respondent had previously been suspended.
4. Gregory Swafford. Hearing Committee #8 recommended that respondent be suspended for thirty days, fully deferred upon attendance of legal ethics school. Respondent negligently created an attorney/client relationship, failed to act with reasonable diligence and promptness, and failed to take steps reasonably practicable to protect his client’s interests.