MEMBERS LOUANN VAN DER WIELE CHAIRPERSON REV. MICHAEL MURRAY VlCE·CHAIRPERSON DULCE M. FULLER SECRETARY JAMES A. FINK JOHN W. INHULSEN JONATHAN E. LAUDERBACH BARBARA WILLIAMS FORNEY KAREN D. O'DONOGHUE MICHAEL B. RIZIK, JR.
STATE OF MICHIGAN ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE BOARD
211 WEST FORT STREET, SUITE 1410 DETROIT, MICHIGAN 48226·3236 PHONE: 313·963·5553 I FAX: 313·963·5571
MARK A. ARMITAGE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WENDY A. NEELEY DEPUTY DIRECTOR KAREN M. DALEY ASSOCIATE COUNSEL SHERRY L. MIFSUD OFFICE ADMINISTRA TOR ALLYSON M. PLOURDE CASE MANAGER OWEN R. MONTGOMERY CASE MANAGER JULIE M. LOISELLE RECEPTIONISTISECRETARY
NOTICE OF REPRIMAND Case No. 15-34-GA Notice Issued: April 13, 2017 Deborah M. Weihermuller, P 64851, Shelby Township, Michigan, by the Attorney Discipline Board Tri-County Hearing Panel #101.
Reprimand, Effective April 8, 2017. The Grievance Administrator filed Formal Complaint 15-34-GA alleging that respondent committed acts of professional misconduct in the course of her practice by initiating communications on two occasions with two couples seeking to adopt a baby. By leave to the Attorney Discipline Board, the Board granted respondent's motion for summary disposition as to certain allegations contained in Count 2 ofthe formal complaint, specifically those allegations found in subparagraph 34(c)(iii) and (iv) of the formal complaint. The Board denied respondent's motion as to the remainder of the allegations of the formal complaint and they were heard by the panel at a hearing held January 14, 2016. Regarding the remaining allegations, the hearing panel found that respondent solicited professional employment from a prospective client with whom the lawyer has no family or prior professional relationship when a significant motive for the lawyer's doing so is the lawyer's pecuniary gain, in violation of MRPC 7.3; and engaged in conduct that violated a criminal law of the state, in particular MCl 710.55(1), in violation of MCR 9.104(5). Respondent was also found to have violated MRPC 8.4(a) and MCR 9.104(4).
The hearing panel ordered that respondent be reprimanded. Total costs were assessed in the amount of $3,789.79.
~a~ Mark A. Armitage Executive Director