BOARD MEMBERS FREDERICK G. BUESSER. JR. JOHN L. COTE. CHAIRPERSON MSGR. CLEMENT H. I E R N DAVID BARER LEWIS. SECRETARY FRANK J. MCOEVITT. 0 . 0 . WILLIAM G. REAMON LYNN H. SHECTER. VICE-CHAIRPERSON
STATE O F MICHIGAN
JOHN F X DWAIHY Executive Director 6 General Counsel SUITE 1 2 6 0
3 3 3 W FORT STREET DETROIT. MICHIGAN 4 8 2 2 6 TELEPHONE 13131 9 6 3 - 5 5 5 3
T h i s i s t o i n f o r m t h e C o u r t s o f t h e S t a t e o f Michigan o f t h e f o l l o w i n g Order o f D i s c i p l i n e :
NOTICE OF SUSPENSION F i l e No. 36417-A
J. MICHAEL KQPP, (P16150) , 1616 A i r p o r t Road, T r a v e r s e C i t y , M I 49684, by A t t o r n e y D i s c i p l i n e Board Saginaw C i r c u i t Hear ing P a n e l .
(1) S u s p e n s i o n ; ( 2 ) For a p e r i o d of 150 d a y s , and u n t i l f u r t h e r O r d e r ;
( 3 ) E f f e c t i v e March 4 , 1981.
-5
The Formal Complaint c h a r g e d t h a t Respondent had n e g l e c t e d a n d / o r r e f u s e d t o t a k e p r o p e r p r o c e e d i n g s i n t h e Michigan C o u r t o f Appeals i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h h i s p r o f e s s i o n a l o b l i g a t i o n s and h i s c o n t r a c t o f employment, and f u r t h e r , t h a t Respondent engaged i n f r a u d , d e c e i t , and m i s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n i n h i s f a i l u r e t o t r u t h f u l l y a d v i s e h i s c l i e n t s o f t h e s t a t u s of t h e a p p e a l , t o t h e d e t r i m e n t o f t h e c l i e n t s . The Complaint f u r t h e r a l l e g e d t h a t Respondent ' s f a i l u r e t o t a k e a c t i o n w i t h i n t h e t i m e p r e s c r i b e d by Genera l C o u r t Rule 8 0 3 . 1 r e s u l t e d i n t h e c l i e n t s ' l o s s o f t h e i r r i g h t t o a p p e a l , i n violation o f G e n e r a l C o u r t Rule 953 (1-4) and Canons 1 and 6 o f 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 , t o - w i t : DR 1-102 ( A ) (1) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) and DR 6-101 ( A ) ( 3 ) . The Compla in t , I n a second Count , f u r t h e r a l l e g e d t h a t Respondent f a i l e d t o answer two Reques t s f o r I n v e s t i g a t i o n made by t h e G r i e v a n c e A d m i n i s t r a t o r , i n v i o l a t i o n o f GCR 953 ( 7 ) and DR 7-101 ( A ) (1) ( 2 ) .
The Hear ing P a n e l found no e v i d e n c e t o s u p p o r t t h e a l l e g a t i o n t h a t Respondent engaged i n c o n d u c t i n v o l v i n g d i s - h o n e s t y , f r a u d o r d e c e i t ; however, t h e P a n e l found t h a t Res- pondent m l s r e p r e s e n t e d t o t h e c l i e n t s c e r t a i n m a t t e r s , t o - w l t : The ongoing p o s t u r e o f t h e a p p e a l , i n t h a t Respondent a d v i s e d
h l s c l i e n t s t h a t t h e a p p e a l had been p e r f e c t e d I n a l l r e s p e c t s , and was c u r r e n t l y pending w i t h i n t h e Michigan C o u r t o f A p p e a l s ,
when, i n f a c t , t h e a p p e a l had n o t been p r o p e r l y p e r f e c t e d , and was n o t p e n d i n g , h a v i n g been d i s m i s s e d . The P a n e l a l s o found
t h a t ~ e s p o n d e n te ngaged i n c o n d u c t a d v e r s e l y r e f l e c t i n g o n h i s f i t n e s s t o p r a c t i c e l aw, and t h a t Respondent n e g l e c t e d t h e l e g a l m a t t e r e n t r u s t e d t o him, i n v i o l a t i o n o f t h e disciplinary r u l e s i n t h e Formal Compla in t . The P a n e l f u r t h e r found t h a t Respondent f a i l e d t o f i l e a t i m e l y answer t o t h e G r i e v a n c e A d m i n i s t r a t o r ' s Request f o r I n v e s t i g a t i o n , i n v i o l a t i o n o f GCR 953 ( 7 ) and 962. N e i t h e r p a r t y h a s f i l e d a n a p p e a l w l t h t h e A t t o r n e y D i s c i p l i n e Board.
Date o f I s s u a n c e :
ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE BOARD MAR 1 J 1991