Board of Com'rs of Alabama State Bar v. Jones

281 So. 2d 267, 291 Ala. 371, 1973 Ala. LEXIS 1109
CourtSupreme Court of Alabama
DecidedAugust 2, 1973
DocketSC 225
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 281 So. 2d 267 (Board of Com'rs of Alabama State Bar v. Jones) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Board of Com'rs of Alabama State Bar v. Jones, 281 So. 2d 267, 291 Ala. 371, 1973 Ala. LEXIS 1109 (Ala. 1973).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

This is an appeal from a penalty of suspension from the practice of law for a period of 90 days imposed on appellant (Jones) by the Board of Commissioners of the Alabama State Bar (State Bar). The Grievance Committee of the Birmingham Bar Association filed two complaints, consisting of three charges in each complaint, charging Jones guilty of violating or failing to comply with Rule 25, Section A; Rule 35, Section A, and Rule 36, Section A, of the Rules Governing the Conduct of Attorneys in Alabama. All charges allege misconduct growing out of two “quickie” divorce cases. Complaint One involves charges in the Cheney divorce while Complaint Two involves charges in the Schaffert divorce.

Charge I of each Complaint charges that Jones “did file or prosecute, or aided in the filing or prosecution of a divorce suit before the Circuit. Judge of the Circuit Court of Winston County, 25th Judicial Circuit of Alabama, namely [names of parties], wherein the complaint and testimony of complainant represented to the Court that the complainant was a bona fide resident of the State of Alabama, when, in truth and in fact, said attorney knew, or had reasonable cause to believe, that neither the complainant nor the respondent was a bona fide resident of the State of Alabama”. This is an alleged violation of Rule 25, Section A, which reads as follows :

“25. No person heretofore or hereafter admitted to practice law in Alabama shall:
“(b) File or prosecute or aid in the filing or prosecution of any suit, cross bill, ‘ or proceeding seeking a divorce in a Court in Alabama as attorney or solicitor for a complainant or cross complainant therein or serve as referring or forwarding attorney for such complainant or cross complainant with knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that neither party to such suit, cross, bill, or proceeding is at the time of the filing of the bill of complaint or cross bill of complaint therein, a bona fide resident of the State of Alabama:”

Jones was found guilty of this charge.

[374]*374Charge II of each Complaint alleges that Jones “was associated in the practice of law with J. Robert Huie, a disbarred and unlicensed attorney residing in Birmingham, Alabama, and in association with J. Robert Huie furnished to [name of complainant] what purported to be a certified copy of a final decree of divorce in the case of [style of case], Circuit Court of Winston County, 25th Judicial Circuit of Alabama.” This is an alleged violation of Rule 35, Section A, as follows:

“No person heretofore or hereafter admitted to practice law in Alabama shall:
“35. Be associated, as a partner or otherwise, in the practice of law with another person who is not then licensed in Alabama to practice law, or who is then suspended or disbarred from the practice of law, provided that this rule shall not apply to association with an attorney of a State other than Alabama who is authorized to and is practicing in such State.”

Jones was found not guilty of this charge.

Charge III of each Complaint alleges that Jones “referred a client, [name of complainant], a non-resident of the State of Alabama, to J. Robert Huie, a disbarred and unlicensed lawyer residing in Birmingham, Alabama, or to the then secretary of J. Robert Huie, for the purpose of obtaining an Alabama divorce, with knowledge or reasonable cause to believe that neither [names of parties], was a bona fide resident of the state of Alabama.” This is an alleged violation of Rule 36, Section A, as follows:

“36. No person licensed to practice law in the courts of the State of Alabama shall be guilty of any conduct unbecoming an attorney at law.”

In the Cheney divorce, competent evidence adduced on behalf of the State Bar revealed that Ronald Lawton Cheney, a graduate of Harvard Law School, and a practicing lawyer in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and his wife, Kathleen, were separated as husband and wife in March, 1966, while living in Cambridge. She stayed in the apartment until 1970. He moved out of the apartment upon their separation. She is now in a mental institution. In December, 1968, Mr. Cheney testified by deposition that he was referred to Jones by John Barta, a practicing lawyer. Cheney says that he called Jones by telephone in early January, 1969, and related to Jones that he and Kathleen were anxious to obtain a divorce and asked Jones if he could get them an Alabama divorce. Cheney says that Jones responded that he could. An agreed price was $600.00. He stated that he mailed a property settlement with a cover letter in early January, 1969, to Jones. Jones was to mail Cheney an answer and waiver which Cheney would execute and return to Jones along with a check for $600.00. Cheney testified that he received an answer and waiver but could not say from whom it came. He did not have a letter from the sender, nor did he have the envelope in which the answer and waiver was mailed.

Jones, testifying in his own behalf, stated that he had several telephone conversations with Cheney, mailed the answer and waiver, received a $600.00 check, which he cashed and paid over to Miss Cox, Mr. Huie’s secretary, and introduced Mrs. Cheney to Miss Cox.

As to the telephone conversations, Jones testified that Cheney did not telephone him, represented himself to be a lawyer and stated that he and his wife were considering a divorce; that he (Cheney) had checked Mexico, Nevada and other places about a divorce which he “desperately needed”; that he told Cheney that there was a local bar rule and that it was necessary to prove twelve months’ residency; that the State Bar had a rule prohibiting people from out of state coming in and getting a divorce and that he did not handle these matters.

[375]*375Jones further testified in this connection that he advised Cheney against an Alabama divorce and cited Alabama cases on the subject of divorce and advised Cheney that since he (Cheney) was a lawyer, he should also satisfy himself about an Alabama divorce. Jones further testified that Cheney later called him by telephone again and said that he was satisfied that “Alabama divorces were okay” and requested on a personal basis that he relate the procedures in the Alabama courts.

Jones stated that in this second telephone conversation Cheney requested that he be sent an answer and waiver form, which Jones did. Jones also testified that Cheney called a third time and advised him that he was executing the waiver and that he was going to send it to Jones together with a check for $600.00.

Miss Cox testified that K. C. Edwards served as attorney for Kathleen Kenefick Cheney in January of 1969, when Mrs. Cheney came to the office in which Miss Cox worked. Miss Cox stated that K. C. Edwards met with Mrs. Cheney in the office in which Miss Cox was working; that Jones had no part in helping Mrs. Cheney obtain a divorce; that Jones did introduce Mrs. Cheney to her; that in this connection Jones stated in the presence of Mrs. Cheney to Miss Cox that he did not handle “that type matter” and “would not handle it” and then he left; that after K. C. Edwards arrived and talked to Mrs. Cheney, she decided to “go ahead and get the divorce”; that while Mrs. Cheney gave Mr. Edwards the information and they discussed the grounds for divorce, Miss Cox typed up Mrs. Cheney’s statements which she signed; that Mr. Edwards signed the complaint; that all her activities on behalf of Mrs. Cheney took place under the responsibility of Mr.

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Board of Com'rs of Alabama State Bar v. Jones
281 So. 2d 267 (Supreme Court of Alabama, 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
281 So. 2d 267, 291 Ala. 371, 1973 Ala. LEXIS 1109, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/board-of-comrs-of-alabama-state-bar-v-jones-ala-1973.