Substantial Threat

The North Dakota Supreme Court imposed a suspension pending the disposition of disciplinary proceedings in a case where the lawyer has been charged with, but not convicted of, criminal charges. The court describes the charges:

The Application [for suspension] states that a criminal complaint has been filed in District Court, County of Ward, Northwest Judicial District charging [the attorney] with Criminal Conspiracy - Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine) in violation of §§ 12.1-06-04 and 19-03.1-23. The offense is a Class C felony. The Application also states that he has been charged with two separate offenses of DUI in a matter of three days. The substance of the criminal complaint for Criminal Conspiracy is that [the attorney] encouraged and solicited a client, whom he was representing in a trial on charges of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, to secure cocaine for him.

The suspension was imposed pursuant to a provision that empowers the court to act in matters of substantial threat of irreparable harm to the public. (Mike Frisch)