Drugs For Fees

More from the April 2009 California Bar Journal:

[an attorney] was suspended for three years, stayed, placed on five years of probation with a two-year actual suspension and until he proves his rehabilitation, and he was ordered to take the MPRE and comply with rule 9.20. Credit will be given for an interim suspension that began Dec. 2, 2007. The order took effect Oct. 10, 2008.

[He] stipulated to misconduct in two matters.

He was convicted in 2006 of felony possession of methamphetamine. [He] was a criminal defense attorney and told authorities he obtained the drug from clients in lieu of payment of his fees.

He was placed on interim suspension as a result of the conviction but did not file on time an affidavit stating that he notified his clients and other pertinent parties of his suspension. When he did file an affidavit, it was rejected as deficient. H] eventually filed a proper affidavit.

He stipulated that he violated the terms of his probation and that his drug possession conviction involved moral turpitude.

(Mike Frisch)