STATE OF MICHIGAN
FILED ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE BOARD September 29, 2020
Attorney Discipline Board
GRIEVANCE ADMINISTRATOR, Attorney Grievance Commission,
Petitioner/Appellant, v JAMES LAWRENCE, P 33664, Respondent/Appellee. /
Case No. 18-130-GA
BOARD ORDER INCREASING DISCIPLINE FROM A 100-DAY SUSPENSION TO DISBARMENT, AFFIRMING RESTITUTION AND VACATING CONDITIONS
Issued by the Attorney Discipline Board 333 W. Fort St., Ste. 1700, Detroit, MI
Tri-County Hearing Panel #101 issued an Order of Suspension and Restitution with Condition on May 20, 2020, suspending respondent’s license to practice law for a period of 100 days, effective June 11, 2020. The order included payment of restitution and conditions relevant to the established misconduct. On June 9, 2020, the Grievance Administrator petitioned the Attorney Discipline Board for review of the hearing panel’s order as to the level of discipline.
The Attorney Discipline Board has conducted virtual review proceedings via Zoom video-conferencing in accordance with General Order ADB 2020-1, and MCR 9.118, which included a review of the record before the hearing panel and consideration of the arguments and briefs presented by the parties. For the reasons discussed in the attached opinion, discipline is increased to disbarment, the restitution provision is affirmed and the conditions imposed by the hearing panel are vacated.
NOW THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that discipline in this case is increased from a suspension of 100 days to DISBARMENT EFFECTIVE JUNE 11, 2020, 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 (C) and MCR 9.124.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall comply with all applicable provisions of MCR 9.119.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the conditions imposed by Tri-County Hearing Panel #101 in the May 20, 2020 order are VACATED.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, in accordance with MCR 9.106(5), discipline in this case is deemed to include restitution in the amount of $2,000.00, which sum was paid by the respondent on April 29, 2020.
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that respondent shall, on or before October 28, 2020, pay costs incurred by the Attorney Discipline Board for the transcript of the review proceedings conducted on August 26, 2020, in the amount of $150.00. Check or money order shall be made payable to the Attorney Discipline System and submitted to the Attorney Discipline Board [333 West Fort St., Ste. 1700, Detroit, MI 48226] for proper crediting. (See attached instruction sheet.)
By:
ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE BOARD
Jonathan E. Lauderbach, Chairperson
Dated: September 29, 2020
Board members Jonathan E. Lauderbach, Michael B. Rizik, Jr., Barbara Williams Forney, James A. Fink, Karen D. O'Donoghue, John W. Inhulsen, Linda S. Hotchkiss, MD, and Michael S. Hohauser concur in this decision.
Board member Peter Smit was absent and did not participate in this decision.