NOTICE OF SUSPENSION ADB 135-88 Terry McCarthy, P-28550, Brighton, MI by the Attorney Discipline Board increasing a hearing panel order of reprimand to a suspension of thirty days.
1) Suspension - thirty days; 2) Effective August 15, 1989. The Attorney Discipline Board considered a Petition for Review filed by the Grievance Administrator seeking modification of a hearing panel Order of Reprimand. The Board ruled that the respondent#s failure to answer a Request for Investigation aggravated by failure to answer a formal complaint warranted discipline greater than a reprimand, in accordance with the Board's prior rulings. The Board emphasized that an attorney#s obligation to answer a Request for Investigation or a formal complaint is not dependent upon the seriousness of the charges in the Request for Investigation and that an attorney who is indifferent to that obligation may be considered #professionally irresponsible and contemptuous#. The respondent was deemed to be in violation of MCR 9.104(1-4,7); MCR 9.103(C); MCR 9.113(B)(2) and Canon 1 of the Code of Professional Responsibility, DR 1-102(A)(l,5,6). Costs were assessed in the amount of $189.12.