STATE ex rel. OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION v. MIRANDO

2016 OK 72, 376 P.3d 232, 2016 Okla. LEXIS 74
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 21, 2016
DocketSCBD 6329
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 2016 OK 72 (STATE ex rel. OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION v. MIRANDO) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
STATE ex rel. OKLAHOMA BAR ASSOCIATION v. MIRANDO, 2016 OK 72, 376 P.3d 232, 2016 Okla. LEXIS 74 (Okla. 2016).

Opinion

*234 OPINION

WATT, Justice:

T1 On October 21, 2015, Complainant Oklahoma Bar Association (the Bar) filed its complaint against Respondent Glenn Martin Mirando, pursuant to Rule 6, Rules Governing. Disciplinary Proceedings (RGDP), 5 0.8. 2011, ch. 1, app. 1-A, alleging specific acts of professional misconduct, in violation of the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct, 5 O.S. 2011, ch. 1, app. 3-A. The complaint contains eight counts of allegations of attorney misconduct based on grievances filed with the Bar by former clients of Mirando. Each count of the complaint contains an allegation that Mirando wholly failed to respond to the particular grievance as required by Rule 5.2, RGDP. 1 The complaint was later deemed amended to add two additional counts of misconduct against Mirando which arose after the filing of the complaint and the evidentiary hearing held before the Professional Responsibility Tribunal (PRT). The Bar recommends suspension of Mirando's license for two years and one day and the assessment of costs in the amount of $2,825.99. «

{12 On December 10, 2015, the PRT held a hearing on the Bar's allegatmns against Mir-ando. Mirando 'did appear at the hearing. Each of the eight former clients named in the complaint testlfied either in person or by telephone. The PRT filed its Trial Panel Report on January 11, 2016, with this Court. It recommended suspending Mirando from 'the practice of law for one year and assessing the costs of this proceeding against him. The recommendation also included requiring him to attend training in law office management.

JURISDICTION AND STANDARD OF REVIEW

13 This Court has exclusive original jurisdiction over Bar disciplinary matters. State ex rel. OBA v. Parker, 2015 OK 65, 359 P.3d 184, citing State ex rel. OBA v. Funk, 2005 OK 26, ¶ 3, 114 P.3d 427, 430. We exercise our constitutional, nondelegable power to regulate the practice of law and the ethics, licensure, and discipline of its practitioners. State ex rel. OBA v. Passmore, 2011 OK 90, ¶ 15, 264 P.3d 1238, 1243. The Bar must prove its allegations of lawyer misconduct by clear and convincing evidence. See RGDP Rule 6.12c 2 ; Passmore, supra, at 1243, This Court decides whether misconduct has occurred, and, if so, the appropriate discipline to be imposed. State ex rel. OBA v. Zimmermam, 2012 OK 35, ¶ 15, 276 P.3d 1022, 1027, citing Passmore, supra. In this Court's de nrovo standard of review, we are not bound by the PRT"s findings of fact, its view of the evidence, the credibility of witnesses, or its recommendation for discipline. Passmore, supra, at 1248,. The prifuary purpose of lawyer disciplinary proceedings is the protection of the public and purification of the Bar, rather than the punishment of the offending lawyer. State ex rel. OBA v. Bellamy, 2012 OK 20, ¶ 8, 273 P.3d 56, 61-62.

*235 14 Mirando testified he served as director of Lawyers Helping Lawyers for nine years. He is a recovering alcoholic, but he has been sober for approximately 19 years. There have not been allegations that he has resumed drinking. *

ENHANCEMENT

15 The complaint filed in this case alleges that this Court previously disciplined Mirando on November 28, 2011, in SCBD No. 5786, by a private reprimand. The discipline was imposed because of the neglect of his clients, in violation of Rules 1.3, 1.15, 8.1(b), and 8.4(a) ORPC, and for his failure to respond in a timely manner to the Bar, in violation of Rule 5.2 RGDP. This Court may consider prior discipline for the purpose of enhancement of discipline in a later case., See State ex rel. OBA v. Knight, 2015 OK 59, 359 P.3d 1122. The Bar must allege in the complaint the former discipline imposed if it seeks enhancement in the current case. See Rule 6.2, RGDP, 5 0.8. 2011 Ch. 1, App. 1-A 3 The Bar gave notice in the current complaint that enhancement .of discipline was being recommended against Mirando.

THE COMPLAINT

1 6 In each count, the Bar advised Mirando in wmtlng of the particular allegations of each grievance and requested a response within a specific time. In each case, Mirando failed to respond. The alleged misconduct in each grievance, although varying in specific detail, has an underlying theme of Mirando's failure to communicate with his clients. Each grievance contains an allegation that the fees paid were unearned, but were never returned to the client, as well as an allegation that Mirando failed to respond to the Bar's repeated inquiries. Each count contains an allegation that Mirando violated Rules 1.1, 4 1.3, 5 1.4, 6 1.5, 7 and 84m), 8 ORPC As prevmusly *236 noted, each count also contains an allegation that Mirando violated Rule 5.2, RGDP, supra.

THE GRIEVANCES AND EVIDENCE

T7 Count I: The Yurchenko Grievance

In December, 2010, Anna Yurchenko hired Mirando to represent her in an immigration matter, She complained that despite attempting to reach him after receiving letters about her immigration status, Mirando did not return her calls. She alleged she paid hirn more than $7,000.00 to represent her, but he did little on her case, She filed a grievance with the Bar on December 22, 2014, Mirando failed to re-spend to two letters from the Bar concerning the grievance, and the matter was opened for formal investigation,

Although there was evidence that Miran-do represented her well in several criminal and immigration matters, requiring travel between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, there was also evidence that she was arrested and threatened with deportation for missing a court appearance about which she was unaware.

[8 Count II: The Whitman Grievance

In March, 2014, Lisa Whitman hired Mirando to represent her in her divorce case and paid him a fee of $2,500.00. She alleged that Mirando stopped contacting her, although she made numerous attempts to contact him. He missed a court date and failed to communicate with her, and she terminated him. On February 12, 2015, Whitman filed a grievance Wlth the Bar against Mirando." _

Mirando claims he earned his fee in the divorce case by properly filing the case, attending court appearances and working on discovery and research, A "miscommu-nication" was given as the reason for missing a court date. Although he claims he returned her file to her new attorney, Whitman disputes this. He failed to respond to any correspondence from the Bar concerning this grievance. |__

{9 Count III: The Moody Grievance

In October, 2014, Christopher Moody hired Mirando to represent him in .a criminal matter for which he paid a fee of $1000.00. Moody alleged Mirando failed to file an Entry of Appearance, did little work on the case, and failed to communicate with him about it, On March 27, 2015, Moody submitted a grievance to the Bar which notified Mirando. He did not respond.

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Bluebook (online)
2016 OK 72, 376 P.3d 232, 2016 Okla. LEXIS 74, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-oklahoma-bar-association-v-mirando-okla-2016.