DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL v. SCACCHETTI.
No. 2011-1409
Supreme Court of Ohio
January 26, 2012
131 Ohio St.3d 165, 2012-Ohio-223
Submitted October 5, 2011
Per Curiam.
{¶ 1} Respondent, David John Scacchetti of Cincinnati, Ohio, Attorney Registration No. 0014117, was admitted to the practice of law in Ohio in 1982. In June 2007, we suspended Scacchetti for two years, with the final 18 months stayed on conditiоns based upon his cocaine use and related criminal charges. Disciplinary Counsel v. Scacchetti, 114 Ohio St.3d 36, 2007-Ohio-2713, 867 N.E.2d 830. We reinstated Scacchetti to the practice of law and placed him on probation on March 20, 2008. Disciplinary Counsel v. Scacchetti, 117 Ohio St.3d 1216, 2008-Ohio-1489, 883 N.E.2d 1073.1 And on November 1, 2011, we suspended his license for failure to comply with the registration requirements of
{¶ 2} On April 11, 2011, relator, Disciplinary Counsel, filed a complaint charging Scacchetti with violations of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct, alleging that he had commingled personal and client funds, used his client trust account as a personal account or law-office operating account, neglected a client matter, and failed to respond in the ensuing disciplinary investigations. The Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline attempted to serve Scacchetti with a copy of the complaint by certified mail at the address he had registered with the Office of Attorney Registration, but the letter was returned unclaimed. On May 9, 2011, the clerk of the Supreme Court of Ohio accepted service on Scacchetti‘s behalf in accordance with
Misconduct
{¶ 4} The essеnce of the board‘s findings is as follows. With regard to count one, relator received notice from Scacchetti‘s bank that he had overdrawn his client trust account on five separate occаsions. In response to those notices, relator sent letters of inquiry seeking Scacchetti‘s explanation of the overdrafts. Although Scacchetti submitted a partial response to one letter, spoke with assistant disciplinary counsel by telephone, and requested and received an extension of time to provide additional information, he did not provide any additional information or respond to relator‘s subsequent correspondence. Scacchetti was subpoenaed to attend two depositions, but failed to appear.
{¶ 5} The board also found that from May 2009 through November 2010, Scаcchetti commingled personal and client funds in his client trust account, used that account as if it were a personal account or law-office operating account, and caused the account to be overdrawn on five separate occasions.
{¶ 6} With respect to count two, the board found that respondent represented Mariscal Protasio Cortez on a felony-theft mаtter before the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas. Cortez entered a guilty plea to a first-degree-misdemeanor theft charge and, as part of the plea agreement, provided Scacсhetti with $100 to pay restitution to the victim of the offense. Although Scacchetti informed the presiding judge that he would make the payment and provide the court with a copy of the receipt, he failed to do so. And, as in count one, Scacchetti failed to respond to relator‘s letters of inquiry.
{¶ 7} Based upon its factual findings, the board found that respondent‘s conduct with respect to count one violatеd
Sanction
{¶ 9} When imposing sanctions for attorney misconduct, we consider relevant factors, including the ethical duties that the lawyer violated and the sanctions imposed in similar cases. Stark Cty. Bar Assn. v. Buttacavoli, 96 Ohio St.3d 424, 2002-Ohio-4743, 775 N.E.2d 818, ¶ 16. In making a final determination, we also weigh evidence of the aggravating and mitigating factors listed in Section 10(B) of the Rules and Regulations Governing Procedure on Complaints and Hearings Before the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline (“BCGD Proc.Reg.“). Disciplinary Counsel v. Broeren, 115 Ohio St.3d 473, 2007-Ohio-5251, 875 N.E.2d 935, ¶ 21.
{¶ 10} Thе board found that there are no mitigating factors present but that Scacchetti‘s prior disciplinary record, his pattern of misconduct, and his failure to cooperate in the disciplinary process are aggravating factors in this case. BCGD Proc.Reg. 10(B)(1)(a), (c), and (e). The board also found that on April 15, 2011, respondent pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to two years of community control, conditioned upon his submission to random urine testing and participation in outpatient treatment.
{¶ 11} Relator recommended that Scacchetti be suspended from the practice of law, with reinstatement conditioned upon his successful completion of a minimum two-year contract with the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program (“OLAP“) and any OLAP treatment rеcommendations, compliance with the terms of his community control, and completion of continuing legal education relating to client trust accounts.
{¶ 12} Having considered Scacchetti‘s conduct, the relevant aggravating factors, the absence of any mitigating factors, and the sanction imposed for comparable conduct in Dayton Bar Assn. v. Wilson, 127 Ohio St.3d 10, 2010-Ohio-4937, 935 N.E.2d 841 (imposing an indefinite suspension on an attorney who failed to maintain accurate records of the funds held in her client trust account, failed to promptly deliver funds that a client was entitled to receive, failed to provide diligent and competent legal representation to another client, and failed to cooperate in the resulting disciplinary investigation), the board recommends that we indefinitely suspend respondent from the practice of lаw.
{¶ 14} Therefore, we agree that the indefinite suspension recommended by the board is the appropriatе sanction in this case. In light of Scacchetti‘s previous drug-related suspension and his recent conviction for possession of illegal drug paraphernalia, we also agree that to protect the public and maintain the integrity of the legal profession, any future reinstatement will be conditioned upon his entering into a minimum two-year OLAP contract and compliance with all OLAP treatment recommendations, compliance with the conditions of his community control, and completion of at least 12 hours of continuing legal education related to law-practice management.
{¶ 15} Therefore, wе indefinitely suspend David John Scacchetti from the practice of law in Ohio. Any future reinstatement will be conditioned upon Scacchetti‘s submission of proof that he has entered into a minimum two-year OLAP contract, is in compliance with all OLAP treatment recommendations, is in compliance with the conditions of his community control, and has completed at least 12 hours of continuing legal education relаted to law-practice management. Costs are taxed to Scacchetti.
Judgment accordingly.
O‘CONNOR, C.J., and PFEIFER, LUNDBERG STRATTON, O‘DONNELL, LANZINGER, CUPP, and MCGEE BROWN, JJ., concur.
Jonathan E. Coughlan, Disciplinary Counsel, and Stacy Solochek Beckman, Assistant Disciplinary
