KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION V. ROBERT MICHAEL STEVENSON
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99-SC-0747-KB
KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION
V.
‘Ls”s,‘“.’
COMPLAINANT
IN SUPREME COURT
ROBERT MICHAEL STEVENSON
RESPONDENT
OPINION AND ORDER
The Kentucky Bar Association brought this action against Respondent,
Robert M. Stevenson, for alleged professional misconduct. The KBA Board of
Governors found Respondent guilty of four counts of unethical conduct and
recommended a 181 day suspension from the practice of law. Respondent failed to
request review of the Board’s recommendation, and thus the recommendation is
adopted pursuant to SCR 3.370( IO).
Respondent, whose last known address is 4809 Bardstown Road in
Louisville, was retained by Oneida Browning to represent her in a claim against an
estate. Respondent subsequently informed Ms. Browning that he had filed suit on her
behalf, and he charged her a fee of $300. Respondent provided proof that suit had
been filed by showing Ms. Browning that a lis pendens notice had been filed in support
of her claim. Respondent then failed to return the phone calls of Ms. Browning. She
discovered that no lawsuit had been filed, and she filed a complaint with the KBA.
Respondent was served with the complaint and failed to respond. Respondent also
failed to respond to a letter, which was forwarded to him, and to charges issued by the
Inquiry Commission.
Respondent was charged with four counts of professional misconduct: (1)
failure to file a complaint after stating he would do so, in violation of SCR 3.130-I .3,
which requires an attorney to act with reasonable diligence and promptness in
representing a client; (2) failure to keep his client fully appraised of the status of her
claim, in violation of SCR 3.130-I .4(a); (3) misleading his client in regard to the status
of her claim and thereby engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or
misrepresentation, in violation of SCR 3.130-8.3(c); and (4) failure to respond to a
lawful demand for information from the disciplinary authority, in violation of SCR 3.1308.1 (b). The Board found Respondent guilty of all four counts and recommended a 181
day suspension from the practice of law.
It is hereby ordered that the recommendation of the Board of Governors
be adopted. It is further ordered that
1. Robert M. Stevenson is hereby suspended from the practice of law for
181 days for his professional misconduct as set forth herein. The suspension shall
commence on the date of entry of this order and shall continue until such time as he is
reinstated to the practice of law by order of this Court pursuant to SCR 3.510; but in any
event, this suspension shall be consecutive with this Court’s suspension as of Order
dated September 23, 1999.
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2. In accordance with SCR 3.450(l), Robert M. Stevenson is directed to
pay the costs of the proceedings in the amount of $75.65, and for which execution may
issue from this Court upon finality of this Opinion and Order.
3. In accordance with SCR 3.390, Robert M. Stevenson shall, within ten
(10) days of the entry of this order, notify all clients of his inability to represent them and
furnish copies of said letters of notice to the Director of the Kentucky Bar Association.
He shall also provide such notification to all courts in which he has matters pending.
All concur.
ENTERED: October 21, 1999.
COUNSEL FOR COMPLAINANT:
Bruce K. Davis, Executive Director
Jane H. Herrick
Kentucky Bar Association
514 West Main Street
Frankfort, KY 40601
COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENT:
Robert Michael Stevenson
4809 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40291
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