MEMBERS ROBERT S. HARRISON CHAIRMAN HANLM M. GURWIN VICE CHAIRMAN CHARLES C. VINCENT. M.D. SECRETARY HON. MARTIN M. DOCTOROR REMONA A. GREEN PATRICK J. KEATING THEODORE P. ZEGOURAS
STATE OF MICHIGAN
JOHN F. VAN BOLT U(ECUnVE wmm 6 GENERAL COUNSEL
SUITE 1260 353 W. FORT STREET DETROIT. MICHIGAN 48226 Area C d B 3 13 963.5553
NOTICE OF SUSPENSION (By Consent) ADB 62-88 J o h n E. Smith, P 20674, 560 S. Fox H i l l l s Drive, Bloomfield Hills, M I 48013 by Attorney D i s c i p l i n e Board Oakland County Hearing Panel #lo.
1 ) Suspension - one yea r ;
2 ) E f f e c t i v e June 1, 1988. The h e a r i n g p a n e l a c c e p t e d a s t i p u l a t i o n f o r c o n s e n t o r d e r of d i s c i p l i n e submit ted by t h e Respondent and t h e Grievance Adminis t ra tor i n accordance w i t h MCR 9.115(F)(5). Respondent o f f e r e d h i s p l e a of n o l o c o n t e n t e r e t o charges t h a t h i s neg l ec t of a pe r sona l i n j u r y m a t t e r f o r which he was r e t a i n e d i n December 1986 r e s u l t e d i n t h e l o s s of h i s c l i e n t ' s cause of a c t i o n ; t h a t from 1976 u n t i l 1985, Respondent made c o n t i n u a l mi s r ep re sen t a t i ons t o h i s c l i e n t t h a t a complaint had been f i l e d on h e r beha l f ; t h a t from October 1979 u n t i l December 1983 Respondent made payments of approximately $15,000 t o h i s c l i e n t , f a l s e l y r ep re sen t ing them t o be
advances a g a i n s t a n a n t i c i p a t e d s e t t l emen t of h e r l a w s u i t ; t h a t Respondent subsequent ly d e l i v e r e d t o h i s c l i e n t a s e r i e s of checks t o t a l i n g $80,000 which were f a l s e l y r e p r e s e n t e d t o be payments o n a s e t t l e m e n t o f t h e l awsu i t . The checks were drawn on c lo sed accounts and Respondent
i n s t r u c t e d h i s c l i e n t no t t o n e g o t i a t e t h e checks ; t h a t Respondent f a i l e d t o honor t h e terms of a s e t t l e m e n t agreement e n t e r e d i n t o w i t h h i s c l i e n t fo l l owing h i s c l i e n t ' s d i s cove ry t h a t no l a w s u i t had been f i l e d ; and t h a t Respondent f a i l e d t o comply w i t h a n o r d e r of d i s c i p l i n e i n a p r i o r d i s c i p l i n a r y m a t t e r i n which he was placed on proba t ion f o r a per iod of two years e f f e c t i v e May 31, 1984. Respondent 's conduct was a l l e g e d t o be i n v i o l a t i o n of MCR 9.104(1-4,8) and Canons 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 of t h e Code of P r o f e s s i o n a l R e s p o n s i b i l i t y , DR 1-102(A)(1,3-6); DR 2-106(A); DR 3-101(B); DR 6-101(A)(3) and DR 7-101(A)(1-3).
I n accordance wi th t h e s t i p u l a t i o n , Respondent is suspended from t h e p r a c t i c e o f l a w f o r o n e y e a r w i t h t h e f u r t h e r c o n d i t i o n t h a t h e make r e s t i t u t i o n t o t h e complainant i n t h e amount of $6,500 wi th i n t e r e s t a t seven percent per year and t h a t he r e a f f i r m c e r t a i n d e b t s t o c l i e n t s a s p r o v i d e d i n t h e p r i o r o r d e r o f p r o b a t i o n . C o s t s i n t h i s m a t t e r were