Gadda v. Ashcroft

377 F.3d 934, 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 14972
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit·Decided July 20, 2004·No. Nos. 02-15113, 02-80014·Published·Cited by 76 cases

Opinion

ORDER

Pursuant to our April 1, 2004 order and opinion, Miguel Gadda, Esq., was disbarred from the practice of law before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit pursuant to Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 46(b)(1)(A). Respondent Gadda has filed a motion to recall the mandate and amend the April 1, 2004 order and opinion.

The court on its own motion recalls the mandate. The April 1, 2004 order and opinion is amended as follows: The two paragraphs on slip op. 4046-47 that read:

Within 21 days of the filing date of this opinion, respondent shall file notices of withdrawal in all cases pending in this court in which he is counsel of record, serve this order on his clients in all pending cases, inform the clients that they must obtain new counsel, and he shall turn over all client files and materials to the clients. Also, within 21 days, Gadda shall file proof with the clerk of this court that he has completed the above requirements. Gadda shall send to the clerk of this court the full identification of his clients in all pending cases in this court and such identification shall include the following information as to each client:
A. Full name
B. Current mailing address
C. Telephone number, if known
D. The Ninth Circuit appeal file number
E. The BIA appeal file number, if any
The Clerk shall deliver certified true copies of this opinion and order to the Clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, to the California State Bar and to the California State Bar Association, ATTN: Enforcement Department, 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105, and to the Executive Office of Immigration Review, Office of the General Counsel, ATTN: Bar Counsel, 5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2400, Falls Church, VA 22041. See 9th Cir. R. 46-2(g).

are deleted.

The following five paragraphs shall be inserted at slip op. 4046 and substituted for the deleted text:

Within 21 days of the date of this order, respondent Gadda shall file notices of withdrawal in all cases pending in this court in which he is listed as counsel of record as of June 1, 2004, serve this order and the court’s April 1, 2004 order and opinion on his clients in the pending cases, and turn over all client files and materials to the clients. Respondent Gadda shall inform his clients in the pending cases that they must (1) obtain new counsel; or (2) notify the court that they wish to represent themselves; or [939] (3) request that the court appoint counsel for them. He shall further notify them that he can no longer provide any legal assistance for them and may not collect fees for future services. Also within 21 days of this order, respondent Gadda shall file proof with the court that he has completed the above requirements and send to the court the addresses of his clients in all pending cases.
With the above amendments, Gadda’s motion is denied. No motions for reconsideration, rehearing, clarification, modification, or stay of the mandate shall be filed or entertained. The mandate shall issue forthwith.
Failure to comply with this order within the time permitted will result in the imposition of monetary sanctions of not less than $1,000, without further notice, for each case in which respondent Gadda fails to fulfill the requirements of this order.
The Clerk shall serve copies of this order on the Clerks of the United States Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Northern District of California; on the State Bar of California, Attention: Enforcement Department, 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105; and on the Executive Office for Immigration Review, Office of the General Counsel, Attention: Bar Counsel, 5107 Leesburg Pike, Suite 2400, Falls Church, YA 22041. See 9th Cir. R. 46-2(g).
The Clerk shall serve this order on Gadda by telephone and by certified mail, return receipt requested.

OPINION

BEEZER, Circuit Judge.

On July 30, 2001, the California State Bar Court (the “State Bar Court”) found that Miguel Gadda, Esq. repeatedly failed to perform legal services competently. It placed Gadda on involuntary inactive status and recommended that Gadda be disbarred.

This opinion and order relate to two federal proceedings resulting from the State Bar Court’s recommendation. In the first, Gadda appeals an order of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, which denies Gadda’s motion to preliminarily enjoin the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) decision to suspend him from practice based on his suspension by the State Bar Court. Gadda v. Ashcroft, No. 02-15113. Gadda asserts that the State Bar Court cannot affect his right to practice before the BIA. The other proceeding is a disciplinary action initiated by this court after we received notice of Gadda’s suspension from practice by the State Bar Court. In re Gadda, No. 02-80014.

Gadda argues that any reciprocal discipline imposed by the BIA or by this court based on the State Bar Court’s suspension order is invalid because the Supreme Court of California lacked jurisdiction to discipline him. He claims that federal law preempts the states’ authority to regulate attorneys, like him, who practice only in the administration of immigration law and in the federal courts, but not in the state courts. Because both of these proceedings involve the same underlying preemption issue, we consolidate them for opinion purposes only.

We conclude that federal law does not preempt the Supreme Court of California’s authority to suspend or disbar attorneys admitted to practice in California state courts. The Supreme Court of California’s discipline orders may serve as the basis for reciprocal disbarment actions by both the BIA and this court.

We disbar Gadda from the practice of law before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

[940] I

Gadda was admitted to the California State Bar in 1975. Thereafter, he was admitted to practice law and became a member of the bar of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He was also admitted to practice before the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”) and was authorized to appear for clients before the BIA and in all Immigration Courts throughout the United States.

A. California State Court Disciplinary Proceedings

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