Don't Suspend Me If You Want Me To Make Restitution

The Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed a six-month suspension that had been imposed by its Committee on Professional Conduct. Three months of the suspension was for failure to respond to a bar complaint and an untimely motion for reconsideration. The lawyer then undertook a felony case with knowledge that he had been suspended, which led to the additional three months. There had been a significant delay in processing the second complaint. The lawyer had failed to repay an unearned fee during that lengthy period of time and argued that a suspension "would make it nearly impossible for him to find a good-paying job where he could pay the restitution owed to [the former client]." (Mike Frisch)