STATE OF MICHIGAN Attorney Discipline Board
GRIEVANCE ADMINISTRATOR, Attorney Grievance Commission, PetitionerlA ppellant,
v DONNA L. JAASKELAINEN, P 49751, Respondent/Appellee. ________________________________________________ ~I
Case No. 14-105-GA
ORDER INCREASING DISCIPLINE TO A 180-DAY SUSPENSION AND MODIFYING CONDITIONS
Issued by the Attorney Discipline Board 211 W. Fort St., Ste. 1410, Detroit, MI
On February 24, 2015, Upper Peninsula County Hearing Panel #1 issued an order of suspension and restitution with conditions, suspending respondent, Donna Jaaskelainen's license to practice law for 179 days. The Grievance Administrator filed a petition for review and the Attorney Discipline Board conducted review proceedings, in accordance with MCR 9.118, on July 15, 2015, which included a review of the whole record before the panel and consideration of the parties' briefs and the arguments presented. For the reasons discussed in the attached opinion, we increase the discipline imposed from a 179-day suspension and restitution with conditions to a 180-day suspension of respondent's license to practice law and modify the conditions.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the discipline in this case is increased from a 179-day suspension to a SUSPENSION OF RESPONDENT'S LICENSE TO PRACTICE LAW IN MICHIGAN FOR 180 DAYS, EFFECTIVE MARCH 18. 2015, and until further order of the Supreme Court, the Attorney Discipline Board or a hearing panel, and until respondent complies with the requirements of MCR 9.123(B) and MCR 9.124.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the conditions imposed by the hearing panel in its February 24, 2015 order are MODIFIED as follows:
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Respondent shall enter into a two-year monitoring. agreement and comply with the stipulations as set forth in the June 24, 2015 recommendations made by the Lawyers and Judges Assistance Program (LJAP).
Respondent shall provide or cause to be provided quarterly reports from LJAP to the Grievance Administrator, or his designee, and the Attorney Discipline Board. The initial report should generally include a diagnosis, prognosis, and
3.
4.
recommendation. All reports thereafter shall report whether positive progress is being made. Respondent shall sign any and all waivers necessary to allow LJAP to provide reports as to respondent's progress in the LJAP program. The waivers shall be irrevocable during the pendency of the LJAP monitoring contract.
Respondent shall immediately return her client file to Gail Wagner-Frank. Respondent shall provide written verification to the Attorney Grievance Commission and the Attorney Discipline Board within 14 days of returning the file. Respondent shall not be eligible to file a petition for reinstatement until such time as she can provide written proof that the file has in fact been returned.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall comply with all applicable provisions of MCR 9.119.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall, on or before October 1! 2015, pay costs incurred by the Board for the transcript of the review proceedings conducted on July 15, 2015, in the amount of $113.84. Costs may be paid by check or money order made payable to the Attorney Discipline System and submitted to the Attorney Discipline Board, 211 West Fort St., Ste. 1410, Detroit, MI 48226, for proper crediting. (See attached instruction sheet.)
ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE BOARD
By:
M(J~",-. '--
DATED: September 2,2015
Board members James M. Cameron, Jr., Lawrence G. Campbell, Dulce M. Fuller, Sylvia P. Whitmer, Ph. D.,Louann Van Der Wiele, James A. Fink, and John W. Inhulsen concur in this decision.
Board member Michael Murray was absent and did not participate. Board member Rosalind E. Griffin, M.D. dissents from this decision for the reasons set forth in the attached opinion.
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