KENTUCKY BAR ASSOCIATION V. PATRICK EDWARD MOEVES
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TO BE PUBLISHED
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2009-SC-000270-KB
IN SUPREME COURT
V.
PATRICK EDWARD MOEVES
RESPONDENT
OPINION AND ORDER
Patrick Edward Moeves, whose KBA member number is 86081 and
whose bar roster address is 178 Tando Way, Covington, Kentucky, 41071,
moves this Court to modify its Opinion and Order issued on October 1, 2009,
which suspended him from the practice of law in this Commonwealth for one
year, but stayed the suspension for two years on the condition that no further
charges be brought against him during the two year period . Moeves contends
that the second paragraph in the Order portion of its Opinion requires him to
comply with the notice requirements set forth in SCR 3 .390, which are typically
only applicable when an attorney has been disbarred or suspended for more
than sixty days . Because Moeves's discipline was conditionally suspended for
two years and because he was still permitted to practice law in this
Commonwealth, he contends that he should not be required to notify the
courts and his clients of his inability to provide further legal services and that
the second paragraph from this Court's Order should be removed . In its
response to this motion, the KBA states that it has no objection to Moeves's
requested modification . Agreeing that this Court's October l, 2009 Order
contained inconsistent language, we grant Moeves's motion and direct that the
second paragraph of the Order section, which required Moeves to comply with
the notice requirements set forth in SCR 3 .390, be removed.
Moeves was admitted to practice law in this Commonwealth on October
13, 1995, and was also admitted to practice law in Ohio on a pro hac vice basis .
On September 16, 2008, the Supreme Court of Ohio barred Moeves from
practicing pro h ac vice in Ohio for a period of two years due to his violation of
several provisions of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct. Following this
Court's Order requiring Moeves to show cause why he should not be subject to
reciprocal discipline in Kentucky, Moeves filed a response on June 25, 2009,
arguing that the identical discipline of a two year suspension was not
appropriate in this reciprocal discipline case. Agreeing that "a two year
suspension in Kentucky is not the same as an injunction prohibiting his pro
hac vice practice in Ohio for two years," this Court determined that it should
not impose the identical discipline from Ohio in this case. Instead, this Court
concluded that "[t]he closest reciprocal discipline we have in Kentucky that
would still allow Respondent to practice in Kentucky would be a one year
suspension, conditionally suspended for two years on the condition that no
further charges are brought against him within two years."
Although the first paragraph of the Order section of this Court's Opinion
and Order imposes the above referenced discipline, noting that Moeves's
discipline is suspended for two years on the condition that no further charges
are brought against him, the second paragraph requires him to comply with
the notice requirements of SCR 3.390 . Although SCR 3 .390 applies when this
Court imposes a disbarment or a suspension of more than sixty days, in . this.
case, this Court specifically stated that the discipline imposed on Moeves would
still permit him to practice law in Kentucky because it would be conditionally
suspended for two years . Therefore, SCR 3 .390 does not apply in this case and
there is no need for Moeves to notify the courts of this Commonwealth or his
clients of his inability to provide legal services in Kentucky . Thus, this Court's
October 1, 2009 Opinion and Order is modified so that paragraph number 2 on
page 8, which orders Moeves to comply with SCR 3 .390, is removed .
All sitting . All concur.
ENTERED: November 25, 2009 .
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