ÿWPC: WšPÒ`:bÐÚ55ѶµK3 !oHPò·'àM=ü[óõÓ÷½£óò¥¤`h©èúsŠšöqÿ¢* žOȪ•‚¼JŽÂ/µ‹O×ÙÙ&¬Ë§ÎTI‡Èfs•>´—ù)ô«–‘ÀZz‰níŠ'ý:cÉÁ½õY]]=Ÿ?+K-ñžç}.Oú‹)g!nªFX::(z² {nÃãˆõcÞ7Dy–ß‹ÅÁC^ÝÛ*Ë‚¸Ù–[\D’PØ¥?fW¯•kˆª•?¾ÀÃ4_iëÄî>íœRÞÝ•*~.Ç$`àk'OÇJÐaq@q|ç%¸ã~?ùÿñG¼M]AT;ÇJy÷}Ûö*E›%°W°&/˜°yΫƒØ®ñÒ±·®çƒ ™ðK€Î$P÷+'…«ˆ–4ó/–,¥®.˜)7M8Ëë¯Í“7Y|ª‚%;vx!ÿß•QvwQªˆ¶N?SÃÄìÜ#_ a’~Õ²ß~²8¨ÇÛ•D1Öý‘¤?Øg¹^|ãz ò9ïôÓ4nr†ŽN/bM”ÿUSÜn·töð Í›žâÃÎo0ñ­‹/à8/' À ÎÖ´àaìWlNfüšaZµ’ׇ¬­‚þsÙ~$ü¾íÊzˆÄùí`b#Á\ % ^ # 0ˆ/ U)N· w 4 z Ò— i x mz U N‘ Æß Æ¥ Æk Æ1 0D÷N;;$ =Ea 1uc 72ØØ !32H[zz»Õ  H°!!ø"»$ØÔ$ƒ¬'Ä/,jó-à]/]/]/=0ÿP1bO3O3O3W3W3W3.o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3o3 1‡33333 0c$4 0ë‡4 1‡r5r5r5 Bù5ù5 0¤6 D3º6 D-í6 0K77 ASe7Ƹ7 0¤~8 0D"9 A«f9˜HP LaserJet 4050 Series PCL 5eÈÈ,,,,ÈÈ0»»v>* (`£ª$¡¡Ñ€.ÑÑ8€½­»»d»»d8ÑÑ ý ÑÓ  Ó(í€"  Z6Times New Roman RegularºI9*¢Ø+00 ˜C:\PROGRA~1\COREL\WORDPE~1\TEMPLATE\CUSTOM~1\REVISE~1.WPTC:\Program Files\Corel\WordPerfect Office 2000\Template\Custom WP Templates\revised standard opinion.wpt3|x ÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ(uHš Z‹6Times New Roman RegularLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5‚Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5„Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5…Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(#Ã$òòÚ  Ú0Ú  Úóó  Ý ƒRÝ ƒR#ÔÔ‡ X XXX ÔÌà  àOn€July€11,€1999,€the€trial€court€entered€its€judgment€finding€that€Sneed€had€violated€theÐ tÄ ÐDisciplinary€Rules€as€specified,€and€it€suspended€him€for€a€period€of€six€months.€€Pursuant€to€theÐ `° Ðprovisions€of€Tennessee€Supreme€Court€Rule€9,€Section€1.3,€Sneed€perfected€his€appeal€to€thisÐ L œ ÐÑ4ôWÑâ 4âÑe°ÑѰ°ÑÑ  Ñâ 4âÑ  ÑCourt.€€Before€this€Court,€Sneed€characterizes€his€conduct€as€negligent.€€He€contends,€however,€thatÐ e Ðnegligent€conduct€is€not€subject€to€disciplineð!ðonly€willful€misconduct€is.€€Sneed€contends€also€thatÐ Qì Ðthe€Board,€ignoring€its€ð ðpolicy€of€progressive€discipline,ðð€has€imposed€a€disproportionately€harshÐ =Ø Ðsentence.Ô#†X XX X jC#ÔÐ )Ä ÐÌà@JJìàII.€€Standard€of€ReviewˆÐ  œ ÐÌà  àTennessee€Supreme€Court€Rule€9,€Section€1.3,€provides€that€review€by€the€Supreme€CourtÐ Ù t Ðð ðshall€be€heard€upon€the€transcript€of€the€record€from€the€circuit€or€chancery€court,€which€shallÐ Å ` Ðinclude€the€transcript€of€evidence€before€the€hearing€committee.ðð€€Additionally,€our€review€of€thisÐ ± L  Ðcause€is€de€novo€on€the€record€of€the€trial€court,€and€to€the€findings€of€the€trial€court€there€is€attachedÐ  8  Ða€presumption€of€correctness€unless€the€evidence€preponderates€against€those€findings.׃×Ý ƒ#ÃÝòòÚ  Ú14Ú  ÚóóÝ  Ý×  ×€€òòSeeóó€Tenn.Ð ‰$  ÐR.€App.€P.€13(d);€òòsee€alsoóó€òòDockery€v.€Board€of€Professional€Responsibilityóó,€937€S.W.2d€863,€865Ð u  Ð(Tenn.€1996).Ð aü  ÐÌà@éé#ìàIII.€€AnalysisˆÐ 9Ô  ÐÌÔ‡ X XXX Ôà  àSneed€contests€the€authority€of€the€Board€to€impose€sanctions.€€Specifically,€he€maintains€thatÐ ¬ Ðalthough€his€misconduct€was€negligent,€it€was€not€willful.€€He€insists,€then,€that€negligentÐ ý˜ Ðmisconduct€is€not€subject€to€discipline.€€Disciplinary€Rule€1„102,€which€defines€ð ðmisconduct,ððÐ é„ Ðimplies€that€the€mere€violation€of€a€Disciplinary€Rule,€without€inquiry€into€the€gravity€of€the€conduct,Ð Õp Ðmay€subject€an€attorney€to€discipline.€€€òòSeeóó€DR€1„102(A)(1).€€Additionally,€contrary€to€SneedððsÐ Á\ Ðassertion,€his€misconduct€may€be€characterized€as€willful€and€intentional.€€Because€Sneed€concedesÐ ­H Ðviolations€of€the€Disciplinary€Rules,€we€see€no€need€to€examine€the€nature€of€the€misconduct€or€hisÐ ™4 Ðintention€further€to€determine€the€Boardððs€authority€to€impose€discipline.Ð …  ÐÌà  àAs€a€general€rule,€negligent€misconduct€may€provide€a€basis€for€discipline.€€The€ABAÐ ]ø ÐStandards€for€Imposing€Lawyer€Sanctions€(1986)€provide:Ð Iä ÐÌà8  àà ` à4.42€Suspension€is€generally€appropriate€when:Ð!¼Ð Ð  ÐÌà8  àà0` Ð Ð à(a)€a€lawyer€knowingly€fails€to€perform€services€for€a€client€and€causes€injuryÐ ù ” Ðor€potential€injury€to€a€client;€orÐå!€ ` Ð ` Ð  ÐÌà8  àà0` Ð Ð à(b)€a€lawyer€engages€in€a€pattern€of€òòneglectóó€and€causes€injury€or€potentialÐ ½#X" Ðinjury€to€a€client.Щ$D #` Ð ` Ð  ÐÌ(Emphasis€added.)€€In€addition,€our€rules€state€that€a€lawyerððs€negligent€misconduct€may€be€groundsÐ &"% ÐÑ1‡µÑâ 1âѰ°Ñâ 1âÑ  Ñfor€discipline.€€For€example,€DR€6„101(A)(3)€states,€ð ðA€lawyer€shall€not€.€.€.€òò[n]eglectóó€a€legal€matterÐ e Ðentrusted€to€the€lawyer.ðð€€(Emphasis€added.)€€This€Court€has€also€imposed€sanctions€for€negligentÐ Qì Ðmisconduct.€€In€òòOffice€of€Disciplinary€Counsel€v.€Henryóó,€664€S.W.2d€62,€65€(Tenn.€1983),€the€trialÐ =Ø Ðcourt€found€that€the€attorney€had€(1)€failed€to€act€competently,€(2)€€knowingly€advanced€a€claim€thatÐ )Ä Ðwas€unwarranted€under€existing€law,€and€(3)€€engaged€in€conduct€that€was€prejudicial€to€theÐ ° Ðadministration€of€justice.€€This€Court€upheld€the€trial€courtððs€finding€that€the€attorneyððs€negligentÐ  œ Ðmisconduct€warranted€suspension.€€òòHenryóó,€664€S.W.2d€at€65.€€Thus,€Sneed€may€be€disciplined€forÐ í ˆ Ðnegligent€misconduct.€€€€Ð Ù t ÐÌà  àBecause€the€Board€has€the€authority€to€discipline€an€attorney€for€negligent€misconduct€andÐ ± L  ÐSneed€does€not€dispute€that€he€violated€the€Disciplinary€Rules,€the€only€issue€to€determine€is€whetherÐ  8  Ðthe€sanctions€imposed€were€appropriate.€€Sneed€contends€that€the€six„month€suspension€and€otherÐ ‰$  Ðsanctions€imposed€by€the€trial€court€are€excessive.€€He€argues€that€the€Board€has€adopted€a€policyÐ u  Ðof€ð ðprogressive€disciplineðð€which€was€not€implemented€in€this€case.€€There€is€no€evidence,€however,Ð aü  Ðthat€this€policy€exists.€€Even€were€such€a€policy€in€existence,€Sneedððs€suspension€would€have€beenÐ Mè  Ðproper€in€light€of€his€prior€disciplinary€record€involving€similar€misconduct.׃×Ý ƒ#ÃÝòòÚ  Ú15Ú  ÚóóÝ  Ý×  ×€€We€are€of€the€opinionÐ 9Ô  Ðthat€the€discipline€imposed€by€the€trial€court€is€appropriate€under€the€circumstances€of€this€case.Ô#†X XX X ÖJ#ÔÐ %À Ðà  àÌà@rr#ìàIV.€€ConclusionˆÐ ý˜ ÐÌà  àÔ‡ X XXX ÔWe€conclude€that€the€Board€had€the€authority€to€discipline€Sneed€for€negligent€conduct,€andÐ Õp Ðthe€sanctions€imposed€by€the€trial€court€are€fair€and€proportionate.€€The€judgment€of€the€trial€courtÐ Á\ Ðis,€therefore,€affirmed.Ô#†X XX X 3Z#Ô€€Accordingly,€Sneed€is€suspended€from€the€practice€of€law€for€a€period€of€sixÐ ­H Ðmonths.€€Ô‡ X XXX ÔIn€addition,€Sneed€shall€be€suspended€for€an€indefinite€period€of€time€with€the€indefiniteÐ ™4 Ðsuspension€to€end€when€he€has€completed€courses€by€the€Board€of€Professional€Responsibility€in€theÐ …  Ðareas€of€general€legal€ethics€and€law€office€management.€€It€is€intended€that€Sneed€complete€theÐ q  Ðcourses€within€the€six„month€period€of€suspension€allowing€the€definite€suspension€of€six€monthsÐ e Ðand€the€indefinite€period€of€suspension€to€run€concurrently.€€If€the€courses€are€not€completed€duringÐ Qì Ðthe€six€months€of€suspension,€indefinite€suspension€shall€continue€until€the€courses€are€completed.Ô#†X XX X ã[#ÔÐ =Ø ÐCosts€are€taxed€to€the€appellant,€Michael€H.€Sneed.Ð )Ä ÐÌÌÌà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  à___________________________________€Ð Ù t Ðà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àà  àADOLPHO€A.€BIRCH,€JR.,€JUSTICEÐ Å ` Ð