NOTICE OF SUSPENSION WITH CONDITION (By Consent)
Case No. 05-52-GA Notice Issued: September 26, 2005
Amanda L. Howe, P 37153, Dearborn, Michigan, by the Attorney Discipline Board Tri-County Hearing Panel #7.
1. Suspension - 2 2 Years 2. Effective September 23, 2005 The respondent and the Grievance Administrator filed a stipulation for a consent order of discipline, in accordance with MCR 9.115(F)(5), containing respondent=s plea of no contest to the allegations that, in her capacity as treasurer for a local chapter of the American Association of University Women, she engaged in a series of unauthorized and undisclosed withdrawals of association funds. An audit disclosed that during the years 2001-2004, the respondent made unauthorized withdrawals of $89, 819.00 and made repayments of $55,787.00 leaving a balance of $29,033.00. In August 2004, Respondent pled no contest to a charge of larceny in violation of City of Dearborn ordinance sec. 14-92 and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 24 months reporting probation and an order to attend Gamblers Anonymous or other counseling. In the formal complaint, the Grievance Administrator charged respondent with violations of MCR 9.104(A)(1)-(4); and Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(a)-(c).
In the stipulation for consent discipline approved by the Attorney Grievance Commission and Tri-County Hearing Panel #7, the parties stipulated that while respondent engaged in conduct for which disbarment would generally be appropriate under Standard 5.11 of the American Bar Association=s Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions, a suspension of two and one-half years, with reinstatement conditioned upon a report from a certified gambling addictionologist, is appropriate in light of the mitigating factors enumerated in the stipulation. Costs were assessed in the amount of $1,013.72.