No. BD-2019-020
S.J.C. Order of Term Suspension entered by Justice Budd on August 26, 2020.
Following criminal convictions and her failure to answer the Petition for Discipline, the respondent received a suspension of her law license for one year and one day.
SUMMARY
Between October of 2017 and February of 2019, the respondent, who was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1999, was convicted of the following misdemeanor criminal offenses in Dedham District Court. On October 18, 2017, the respondent admitted to sufficient facts to the charges of criminal harassment; violation of a harassment prevention order; assault and battery on a police officer; and resisting arrest. The matter was continued without a finding (CWOF) for one year subject to her compliance with certain conditions of probation. On October 2, 2018, the respondent was found to have violated her probation and the CWOF was revoked. Guilty verdicts were entered on the charges of criminal harassment and violation of a harassment prevention order, and the respondent was sentenced to 10 days in the house of correction. On November 29, 2018, the respondent was found guilty after a jury trial of violating a harassment prevention order. On February 4, 2019, the respondent pled guilty to three charges of violating a harassment prevention order; one charge of resisting arrest; and one charge of negligent operation of a motor vehicle. She was sentenced to 55 days in the house of correction, deemed served and concurrent with the November 29, 2018 matter.
Several of the respondent’s convictions interfered with the administration of justice; specifically: resisting arrest; assault and battery on a police officer; violating harassment prevention orders; and the probation violations. They therefore constituted “serious crime[s]” under S.J.C. Rule 4:01, §12(3)
On December 2, 2019, bar counsel filed with the Board of Bar Overseers a petition for discipline based upon the respondent’s convictions, alleging that violated Mass. R. Prof. C. 3.4(c), and 8.4(b), (d) and (h). The respondent failed to respond and was defaulted. She did not participate in the disciplinary proceedings.
On April 13, 2020, the Board of Bar Overseers voted unanimously to recommend that the respondent be suspended from the practice of law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a period of one (1) year and one (1) day, retroactive to April 25, 2019, the date of a temporary suspension entered pending further disciplinary proceedings. On August 26, 2020, following a hearing, the Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk County (Budd, J.) so ordered.
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