MUBERS ROBERT S. HARRISON M I R U A N IANLEY M. GURWIN VlCE CH*IIuAN
CHARLES C. VINCENT. M.D SECRETARY HON. MARTIN M DOCTOROFF REMONA A. GREEN PATRICK J. KEATING THEODORE P ZEGOURAS
STATE OF MICHIGAN
JOHN F VAN BOLT aKunvE DIRK^ 6 WEQ a C - O UNSEL
NOTICE OF REPRLMAND F i l e No. S t e v e n J. L u p i l o f f , P 16862, 30600 Nor thwes te rn Awy., S t e . 300, Farmlngton H i l l s , M I 48018 by t h e A t t o r n e y D i s c i p l i n e Board r e d u c i n g a h e a r i n g p a n e l o r d e r of s u s p e n s i o n .
DP 34/85
1) Reprimand; 2 ) A p r i l 15 , 1988. R e s p o n d e n t r e c e i v e d f u n d s on beha l f a c l i e n t a s t h e r e s u l t of t h e redempt ion of a n award by t h e Bureau of Worker 's D i s a b i l i t y Compensation. Respondent d e p o s i t e d t h e e n t i r e award i n h i s g e n e r a l account and , a f t e r d i s b u r s e m e n t o f t h e n e t p r o c e e d s t o h i s c l i e n t , r e t a i n e d t h e sum o f $1897.00 f o r t h e s p e c i f i c purpose of d i s c h a r g i n g h i s c l i e n t ' s o b l i g a t i o n t o a c l i n i c . During t h e e i g h t months t h a t r e s p o n d e n t r e t a i n e d p o s s e s s i o n of t h o s e f u n d s , t h e b a l a n c e i n t h e g e n e r a l a c c o u n t f e l l below t h e l e v e l of $1897.00 on s i x t e e n o c c a s i o n s . The h e a r i n g p a n e l conc luded t h a t t h e e i g h t month d e l a y i n d e l i v e r i n g t h e f u n d s t o t h e medica l p r o v i d e r was u n r e a s o n a b l e under t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , t h a t t h e d e p o s i t of funds i n t o h i s own g e n e r a l account c o n s t i t u t e d commingling i n v i o l a t i o n of DR 9-102(A) and t h a t h i s f a i l u r e t o m a i n t a i n t h e f u l l b a l a n c e i n h i s account c o n s t i t u t e d a m i s a p p r o p r i a t i o n of t h o s e funds .
The s u s p e n s i o n of f o r t y - f i v e d a y s o r d e r e d by t h e h e a r i n g p a n e l was appea led by t h e respondent and t h e Grievance A d m i n i s t r a t o r t o t h e At torney D i s c i p l i n e Board w h i c h a f f i r m e d t h e p a n e l ' s f a c t u a l f i n d i n g s a n d i t s c o n c l u s i o n s t h a t r e s p o n d e n t ' s conduc t was i n v i o l a t i o n of MCR 9.104(2-4) and Canons 1 a n d 9 o f t h e Code o f 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 , D R 1-102(A)(5,6) and DR 9-102(A)(B)(4). By a m a j o r i t y , t h e Board reduced d i s c i p l i n e t o a reprimand i n l i g h t of c e r t a i n unique m i t i g a t i n g c i r c u m s t a n c e s and i t s c o n c l u s i o n t h a t t h e v i o l a t i o n s were p r i m a r i l y caused by n e g l i g e n c e and poor o f f i c e a c c o u n t i n g procedures . A d i s s e n t i n g o p i n i o n was f i l e d by two members who would i n c r e a s e d i s c i p l i n e t o a s u s p e n s i o n o f o n e y e a r i n l i g h t o f r e s p o n d e n t ' s v i o l a t i o n o f a f u n d a m e n t a l d u t y t o s e g r e g a t e and p r o t e c t c l i e n t funds and r e s p o n d e n t ' s p r i o r reprimand f o r f a i l u r e t o make t i m e l y d e l i v e r y of funds t o a p h y s i c i a n on b e h a l f of a c l i e n t . Cos t s were a s s e s s e d i n t h e amount of $692.49.
I n a n o r d e r e n t e r e d September 7 , 1988, t h e Supreme Court d e n i e d t h e a p p l i c a t i o r y f o r l e a v e t o a p p e a l f i l e d by t h e Grievance A d m i n i s t r a t o r .