BOARD MEMBERS fRCDERlCI G. EUCSSCR. JW COT^. JOHN L. CMAIRPCRSOW
MSGR. CLEMENT M. KERN
O*VID OAMER LEWIS. SCCR-RV FRANK J. MCDEVITT. (10. WILLIAM G. RCAMON
JOHN F X . DWAlHY COUNSEL/ADMINISTRATOR
SUITE I 2 6 0 333 W FORT STREET DETF1OIT. MICHIGAN 4 8 2 2 6
LYNN H. SHECTER. VICE-CHAIRPERSON
This i s t o in form the Courts o f the Sta te o f Michigan of t he fo l l ow ing Order o f D isc ip l i ne :
NOTICE OF SUSPENSION F i l e No. 36218-A DONALD R. McLEAN (P17496), 426 W. Parklane Towers, Dearborn, M I 48126, by At torney D i s c i p l i n e Board Wayne C i r c u i t Hearing Panel "A". (1 ) Suspension; ( 2 ) For a per iod o f s i x months; (3 ) E f f e c t i v e October 14, 1980.
Respondent was charged w i t h pleading gu i 1t y i n Oakland County C i r c u i t Court t o embezzlement by a t rus tee o f l ess than One Hundred ($100) Do l l a rs and wel fare f raud under F ive Hundred ($500) Do l l a rs ,
both misdemeanors. Respondent was placed on probat ion fo r a pe r iod o f one year. The Formal Complaint a l leged v i o l a t i o n s of GCR 969.1 and GCR 953 (5) .
The Panel made the fo l l ow ing f i nd ings : Respondent had been appointed Guardian o f a mental incompetent i n Oakland County Probate
Court and d i d improper ly use funds from h i s ward's es ta te f o r h i s own personal use; Respondent made r e s t i t u t i o n t o the ward's es ta te f o r
such d i v e r t e d funds; Respondent f a i l e d t o repo r t t o Social Welfare a u t h o r i t i e s t h a t h i s ward had i n h e r i t e d a substant ia l sum o f money and
no longer requ i red p u b l i c assistance; Respondent's p lea of g u i l t y t o the two misdemeanors was made upon advice o f counsel and w i t h f u l l knowledge o f the consequences ; Respondent was, and continues t o be,
an a l coho l i c and i s now a success fu l l y -pa r t i c i pa t i ng a c t i v e member of A lcoho l ics Anonymous, adhering t o the p r i n c i p l e s o f therapy sponsored
by sa id assoc ia t ion ; testimony o f three expert witnesses i nc lud ing a
phys ic ian and c l i n i c a l psycho log is t d isc losed t h a t Respondent may have suf fered a s i g n i f i c a n t degree o f diminished capac i ty as a r e s u l t of m i l d organic b r a i n disease e x i s t i n g a t the t ime o f the c r im ina l offenses,
sa id f a c t o r being considered i n m i t i g a t i o n although not t o t a l l y d i s - p lac ing the determinat ion of t he C i r c u i t Court as t o Respondent's gui 1t ;
contemporaneously w i t h the t ime o f the comnission o f the offense, Respondent was taken i n t o p r o t e c t i v e custody by p o l i c e a u t h o r i t i e s
and was de l i ve red t o Wayne County General Hosp i ta l f o r p s y c h i a t r i c evaluat ion; t he C i r c u i t Court i n sentencing Respondent p laced him on probat ion f o r a pe r iod o f one year. The Hearing Panel concluded t h a t ,
i n s p i t e o f several s u b s t a n t i a l l y m i t i g a t i n g f a c t o r s and regardless o f the amount o f funds involved, Respondent d i d misappropr iate c l i e n t
funds thereby comn i t t i ng a cr ime i n v o l v i n g moral t u r p i t u d e i n v i o l a - t i o n o f GCR 953 (5) and 969.1. Respondent was assessed costs o f t h e
d i s c i p l i n a r y proceedings i n the amount o f One Thousand Two and 70/100 ($1,002.70) Do1 1a rs. Ne i ther Respondent nor the Grievance Admi n i s t r a t o r p e t i t i o n e d the D i s c i p l i n e Board f o r review o f t h e Hearing Panel decis ion.
David Baker Lewis, Secretary ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE BOARD
October 21, 1980.