In re Telemaque

30 A.D.3d 82, 813 N.Y.S.2d 180

This text of 30 A.D.3d 82 (In re Telemaque) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Telemaque, 30 A.D.3d 82, 813 N.Y.S.2d 180 (N.Y. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Per Curiam.

The petitioner served the respondent with a petition dated August 4, 2004, containing five charges of professional misconduct. The respondent served an answer dated August 26, 2004, and at the hearing, amended her answer and admitted each of the factual allegations in the petition. After a prehearing conference on October 28, 2004, and a hearing on December 8, 2004, the Special Referee sustained Charges One, Two, Three, and Four, and did not sustain Charge Five. The petitioner now moves to confirm the Special Referee’s report insofar as it sustains Charges One through Four, to disaffirm the report insofar as it does not sustain Charge Five, and to impose such discipline upon the respondent as the Court may deem just and proper. The respondent does not oppose the motion but seeks to limit the discipline imposed to a public censure.

Charge One alleges that the respondent has engaged in a pattern and practice of failing to properly safeguard escrow funds entrusted to her as a fiduciary, incident to her practice of law, in violation of Code of Professional Responsibility DR 9-102 (a) (22 NYCRR 1200.46 [a]) and DR 1-102 (a) (7) (22 NYCRR 1200.3 [a] [7]).

At all times relevant hereto, the respondent maintained an attorney escrow account identified as ‘TOLA - Yves-Merry Telemaque, PC.” account number xxxxxxx85-65, at Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan Chase Bank).

On or about November 6, 2001, the respondent deposited the sum of $6,750 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of client Bonhomme. From on or about November 6, 2001, until at least December 17, 2001, the respondent was required to [84]*84maintain the sum of $6,750 in her attorney escrow account on behalf of Bonhomme. By November 13, 2001, the balance in the respondent’s attorney escrow account had been depleted to $2,769.07.

On or about November 28, 2001, the respondent deposited the sum of $16,000 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of client Moyse. From on or about November 28, 2001, until at least January 11, 2002, the respondent was required to maintain the sum of $16,000 in her attorney escrow account on behalf of Moyse. On or about December 31, 2001, the respondent’s attorney escrow account had been depleted to $8,348.46.

On January 9, 2002, the respondent deposited the sum of $38,000 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of client Herbin. From January 9, 2002, until at least February 15, 2002, the respondent was required to maintain, after paying legitimate expenses on behalf of Herbin, at least the sum of $20,000 in her attorney escrow account on behalf of that client. On or about January 16, 2002, the respondent’s attorney escrow account had been depleted to $14,188.33.

On or about January 16, 2002, the respondent deposited the sum of $20,000 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of client Guillaume. From on or about January 22, 2002, until at least March 25, 2002, the respondent was required to maintain the sum of $20,000 in her attorney escrow account on behalf of Guillaume. On or about February 15, 2002, the respondent’s escrow account had been depleted to $14,586.03.

On March 8, 2002, the respondent deposited the sum of $10,000 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of clients Lalchan and Granger. From on or about March 8, 2002, until at least May 30, 2002, the respondent was required to maintain the sum of $10,000 in her attorney escrow account on behalf of clients Lalchan and Granger. On or about April 1, 2002, the respondent’s escrow account had been depleted to $3,839.01.

On March 12, 2002, the respondent deposited the sum of $8,300 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of client Cordon. From on or about March 12, 2002, until at least April 3, 2002, the respondent was required to maintain, after extracting her legal fee, the sum of $5,285.92 in her attorney escrow account on behalf of client Cordon. On or about April 1, 2002, the balance in the respondent’s attorney escrow account fell to $3,839.91.

On or about April 4, 2002, the respondent deposited the sum of $23,748.73 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of cli[85]*85ent Mungin. From on or about April 4, 2002, until at least April 17, 2002, the respondent was required to maintain, after paying legitimate expenses on behalf of Mungin, the sum of $22,523.73 in her escrow account on behalf of that client. On April 15, 2002, the balance in the respondent’s attorney escrow account fell to $21,543.29.

On April 17, 2002, the respondent deposited the sum of $5,000 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of client Stroud. From on or about April 17, 2002, until at least February 3, 2003, the respondent was required to maintain the sum of $5,000 in her attorney escrow account on behalf of Stroud. On several occasions, from April 17, 2002, until February 3, 2003, the balance in the respondent’s attorney escrow account fell below $5,000.

On April 18, 2002, the respondent deposited the sum of $11,858 into her attorney escrow account on behalf of client Emmanual. From on or about April 18, 2002, until at least September 19, 2002, the respondent was required to maintain, after paying legitimate expenses on behalf of Emmanual, the sum of $8,858 in her attorney escrow account on behalf of that client. On May 13, 2002, the balance in the respondent’s attorney escrow account fell to $8,437.23.

Charge Two is predicated upon the facts alleged in Charge One with respect to the respondent’s maintenance of an attorney escrow account and alleges that the respondent has engaged in a pattern and practice of drawing checks from her IOLA account prior to the deposit of the corresponding clients funds, in violation of Code of Professional Responsibility DR 1-102 (a) (4) and (7) (22 NYCRR 1200.3 [a] [4], [7]).

On or about August 16, 2001, the respondent issued check number 1352 in the sum of $1,150.75 to Judicial Title Insurance Agency and check number 1353 in the sum of $150 to Fran Girimonti, from her attorney escrow account, on behalf of client Sabin. The respondent failed to deposit the corresponding client funds into her attorney escrow account prior to issuing said checks.

On or about January 8, 2002, the respondent issued from her attorney escrow account check number 1380 in the sum of $1,587 to G&G Engineering, check number 1390 in the sum of $10,576.25 to Lex Terrae, check number 1391 in the sum of $185 to J. Wainer, and check number 1392 in the sum of $647.55 to Fairbanks, on behalf of client Herbin. The respondent failed to deposit the corresponding client funds into her attorney escrow account prior to issuing said checks.

[86]*86On or about January 11, 2002, the respondent issued check number 1395 in the sum of $29,383.09 from her attorney escrow account to Jane C. Sullivan on behalf of client Moyse. The respondent failed to deposit the corresponding client funds into her attorney escrow account prior to issuing said check.

On or about February 7, 2002, the respondent issued check number 1404 in the sum of $1,000 from her attorney escrow account, to herself, for her legal fees or disbursements, on behalf of client Pierre-Louis, whom she represented in a personal injury case. The respondent failed to deposit the corresponding client funds into her attorney escrow account prior to issuing said check.

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In re Kass
230 A.D.2d 94 (Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, 1997)
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Bluebook (online)
30 A.D.3d 82, 813 N.Y.S.2d 180, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-telemaque-nyappdiv-2006.