NOTICE OF SUSPENSION Case Nos. 95-155-GA; 95-181-FA Louise Bacon, P-41086, Detroit, Michigan, by Attorney Discipline Board Tri-County Hearing Panel #16.
1) Suspension - three (3) years; 2) Effective July 6, 1995. Respondent was appointed to represent the defendant in an appeal of a criminal matter. The panel found, by default, that respondent failed to notify her client of the Opinion entered by the Court of Appeals which affirmed his conviction, resulting in loss of his right to timely pursue further appellate relief in the Michigan Supreme Court; failed to advise her client of the applicable time limits for further appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court; failed to answer the Request for Investigation; and failed to answer the Formal Complaint. Respondent also failed to appear at the disciplinary hearing.
Respondent's conduct was found to be in violation of MCR 9.103(C); MCR 9.104(1)-(4)and(7); MCR 9.113(A)and(B)(2); and Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1(c); 1.4; 8.1(b); and 8.4(a)and(c)
The panel considered the nature of the misconduct in this matter, as well the closeness in time and similarity in nature of the misconduct which led to her previous suspension. The panel found that the pattern of similar misconduct established by the respondent all occurred in approximately the same time period, and concluded that the appropriate discipline in this matter was a three-year suspension, to run concurrently with the three-year suspension imposed in Case Nos. 95-39-GA; 95-58-FA, which commenced on July 6, 1995.
Costs were assessed in the amount of $136.54.