MEMBERS LOUANN VAN DER WIELE CHAIRPERSON REV. MICHAEL MURRAY VICE-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 ASSOCIA TE COUNSEL SHERRY L. MIFSUD OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR ALLYSON M. PLOURDE CASE MANAGER OWEN R. MONTGOMERY CASE MANAGER JULIE M. LOISELLE RECEPTION/STISECRETARY
NOTICE OF SUSPENSION (By Consent)
Case No. 16-89-GA Notice Issued: February 27,2017 Ronald J. Varga, P 34361, Cheboygan, Michigan, by the Attorney Discipline Board Emmet County Hearing Panel #2.
Suspension - 180 Days, Effective April 1, 2017.1 The respondent and the Grievance Administrator filed a stipulation for a consent order of discipline, in accordance with MCR 9.115(F)(5), which was approved by the Attorney Grievance Commission and accepted by the hearing panel. Based upon respondent's admissions and the stipulation of the parties, the panel found that respondent committed professional misconduct during his representation of client in a civil action in Chippewa County Circuit Court.
Specifically, the panel found that respondent failed to deposit a legal fee in advance of services rendered into a client trust account and withdraw the fee only when earned, in violation of MRPC 1.15(g); failed to hold property of clients or third persons in connection with a representation separate from his own property and failed to deposit all client or third person funds into an IOlTA or non-IOlTA account, in violation of MRPC 1.15(d); upon termination of the representation, failed to refund any advance payment of a fee that had not been earned, in violation of MRPC 1.16(d); and failed to reply promptly with reasonable requests for information from the client, in violation of MRPC 1.4(a). Respondent was also found to have violated MRPC 8.4(a).
The panel ordered that respondent's license to practice law be suspended for a period of 180 days effective April 1 , 2017 (as stipulated by the parties). Costs were assessed in the amount of $756.88.
1 On February 23,2017, an order was entered that granted respondent's request to perform services as an attorney pursuant to MCR 9.119(D), under the current terms of his existing public defender contract with Cheboygan County until the effective date of the suspension of his license to practice law.