Abuse Of Discretion

The California State Bar Court held that a trial judge had abused his discretion by declining to terminate a lawyer from the Bar's Alternative Discipline Program. The program is designed to assist attorneys who suffer from substance abuse or mental health problems. The attorney had been the subject of seven complaints alleging serious ethical misconduct that occurred after he had been admitted to the program and had "failed to  cooperate or respond in any meaningful way" with the investigations into the complaints. (Mike Frisch)