Disciplinary Case Summaries

• Jurisdiction: Colorado,United States
• Citation: Vol. 12 No. 1991 Pg. 2533
• Pages: 2533
• Publication year: 1991

20 Colo.Law. 2533 Colorado Lawyer 1991.

1991, December, Pg. 2533. Disciplinary Case Summaries

Disciplinary Case Summaries

Table(fn1)

(through September 1991)

Requests for investigation filed in 1991920

Docketed for investigation287

Not docketed for investigation463

Preliminary inquiries in progress166

In abeyance4

Cases dismissed by the inquiry panels in 1991189

Letters of admonition sent in 199167

Cases in which reasonable cause was found in 199179

Cases pending before the inquiry panels on 9/31288

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Footnotes

1 figures supplied by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.

Public disciplinary and disability decisions are listed below. Those issued by opinion appear in their entirety in the Colorado Supreme Court "Opinions" section of The Colorado Lawyer. Public disciplinary decisions involving issues that are not routine are summarized below, together with all private censures and selected admonishments. Occasionally, articles will appear in this space in lieu of summaries or with fewer of them.

Public Decisions

Robert J. Colt: The court disbarred the respondent on September 16, 1991, effective immediately, and assessed costs of $2,736.38 against him.

The lawyer assisted his client in conduct that the lawyer knew to be illegal and fraudulent. The lawyer prepared fraudulent documentation purporting to reflect expenses incurred by his client in the sale of his home. The client did not own a home and had not sold one. The client, with the lawyer's knowledge, used the documentation to claim reimbursement from his employer of $5,390.11 in "expenses." The lawyer received $3,654.40 of that amount. After the grievance was filed, the lawyer reimbursed to the employer the portion he had received. The lawyer violated DR7-102(A)(7) and DR1-102(A)(3), the latter of which prohibits illegal conduct involving moral turpitude.

Douglas Scott Rouse: The court disbarred the respondent on September 16, 1991, effective immediately. The respondent was assessed costs of $144.16 and was ordered to make restitution of over $28,000 to his client.

The respondent was a trustee of a trust, held a power of attorney and had signature authority for the trust's bank accounts. He also represented the beneficiary of the trust in various legal matters. The respondent borrowed money from his client, but failed to provide him with promissory notes to evidence the...