`FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/03/2018 02:17 PM
`
`NYSCEF DOC. NO. 126
`NYSCEF DOC. NO. 126
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`INDEX No. 518372/2017E
`INDEX NO. 518372/2017
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`FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/03/2018 02:17 PM
`FILED
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`CLERK
`11/14
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`PM|
`NYSCEF DOC. NO. 126
`41
`NYSCEF
`DOC.
`NO.
`1:16-mc-02240-CRC-RDM-APM
`Case
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`Document
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`26
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`INDEX NO. 518372/2017
`518372
`/ 2 017
`INDEX
`NO.
`RECEIVED NYSCEF: 01/03/2018
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`EC IVED
`N
`CEF:
`4
`age
`1 o
`
`Filed
`
`11/30/16
`
`UNITED
`STATES
`FOR THE DISTRICT
`
`come
`DISTRICT
`OF COLUMBIA
`
`'
`
`~ < < 9
`NOV30
`
`
`
`ROIS)QIS
`
`Clark,U.S.Distrlot
`&Bankru
`+
`Courts for flie Distriot of Columb a
`
`Attorney
`Docket
`
`Grievance
`15-19
`No.
`
`))
`)
`
`) )
`
`)
`
`) ) )
`
`ORDER
`
`TY CLEVENGER
`
`Respondent
`
`Member
`Court
`
`the Bar
`of
`the District
`
`for
`
`of
`
`the District
`of Columbia
`
`This matter
`
`comes
`
`before
`
`the Disciplinary
`
`Panel
`
`(hereinafter
`
`"Panel"
`"Panel"
`"Panel")
`
`for approval
`
`of
`
`the
`
`I
`
`terms
`
`of settlement
`
`resolving
`
`the issues
`
`raised
`
`by the charges
`
`filed
`
`by Committee
`
`on Grievances
`
`against
`
`the Respondent,
`
`Ty Clevenger.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`The Committee
`
`on Grievances
`
`("COG"),
`
`pursuant
`
`to LCvR
`
`83.16(d)(7),
`
`submitted
`
`charges
`
`to the Panel
`
`alleging
`
`that Ty Clevenger,
`
`a member
`
`of
`
`the Bar of
`
`this Court,
`
`violated
`
`certain Rules
`
`of Professional
`
`Conduct.1
`
`see Dkt.
`
`1.
`
`In particular,
`
`Mr. Clevenger
`
`was charged
`
`with:
`
`l.
`
`Violation
`
`of Rule
`
`8.4(d)-
`
`——
`Misconduct
`
`.
`
`.
`
`It
`
`is professional
`
`misconduct
`
`for a lawyer
`
`to:
`
`(d) Engage
`
`in conduct
`
`that seriously
`
`interferes
`
`with
`
`the administration
`
`of
`
`justice
`
`2.
`
`Violation
`
`of Rule
`
`3 - Meritorious
`
`Claims
`
`and Contentions
`
`A lawyer
`shall
`unless
`therein,
`which
`Includes
`of existing
`law.
`
`or assert or controvert
`a proceeding,
`or defend
`not bring
`so that
`is not
`for doing
`there
`is a basis
`in law and fact
`for an extension,
`a good-faith
`argument
`modification,
`
`an issue
`frivolous,
`or
`reversal
`
`3.
`
`Violation
`
`of Rule
`
`3.2 -
`
`Expediting
`
`Litigation
`
`5
`
`previously
`
`The factual support and specific charges ofviolations
`submitted to the Panel as COG Exhibit 2.
`
`ofthe Rules ofProfessional
`
`Conduct were
`
`1I
`
`
`
`156-181SG-1S
`
`
`
`FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/03/2018 02:17 PM
`FILED:FILED:
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`KINGSKINGS
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`COUNTYCOUNTY
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`20172017
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`(a)
`
`In representing
`knows
`or when
`injure
`
`maliciously
`
`a lawyer
`a client,
`it
`is obvious
`that
`another.
`
`a proceeding
`shall not delay
`serve
`such action would
`
`when
`solely
`
`the lawyer
`to harass
`or
`
`(b) A lawyer
`interests
`
`shall make
`of
`the client.
`
`reasonable
`
`efforts
`
`to expedite
`
`litigation
`
`consistent
`
`with
`
`the
`
`The charges
`
`filed
`
`against Mr. Clevenger
`
`were the result
`
`of COG's
`
`investigation
`
`that was
`
`spurred
`
`by a letter of complaint
`
`sent
`
`to COG by Patrick
`
`Keamey.2
`
`Mr. Kearney's
`
`letter of complaint
`
`to COG arose out of very
`
`contentious
`
`litigation
`
`in the case of Wade A. Robertson
`
`v. William
`
`C.
`
`Cartinhour,
`
`1:09-ov-1642.
`
`That
`
`case was litigated
`
`in the United
`
`States District
`
`Court
`
`for
`
`the District
`
`of Columbia
`
`before United
`
`States District
`
`Court
`
`Judge Ellen Huvelle.3
`
`The litigation
`
`of Robertson
`
`v. Cartinhour
`
`involved
`
`battles
`
`on many
`
`fronts,
`
`in multiple
`
`courts,
`
`and included
`
`the filing
`
`of multiple
`
`appeals.
`
`These multiple
`
`court
`
`battles
`
`and appeals
`
`resulted
`
`in the Respondent
`
`being
`
`sanctioned,
`
`not
`
`but also
`
`Judge
`
`of
`
`court
`
`only
`
`by Judge Huvelle,
`
`by the then-Chief
`
`this Court,
`
`a bankruptcy
`
`judge,
`
`and the United
`
`States Court
`
`of Appeals
`
`for
`
`the District
`
`of Columbia
`
`Circuit
`
`
`Circuit"Circuit"
`("the D.C. Circuit").
`
`The Panel
`
`notes
`
`that,
`
`in a Memorandum
`
`Opinion,
`
`Judge Huvelle
`
`listed
`
`and summarized
`
`several
`
`events
`
`involving
`
`sanctions
`
`against Mr. Clevenger
`
`that occurred
`
`since
`
`the Court
`
`dismissed
`
`Robertson
`
`I on March
`
`16, 2012,
`
`Those
`
`events
`
`included:
`
`l. On April
`
`2, 2012, Chief
`
`Judge Lambert
`
`imposed
`
`sanctions
`
`of $7,249.00
`
`against Messrs.
`
`Robertson
`
`and Clevenger
`
`jointly
`
`because
`
`they had filed
`
`a frivolous
`
`bankruptcy
`
`case in
`
`an attempt
`
`to stall
`
`litigation
`
`in this district
`
`in front
`
`of Judge Huvelle.
`
`Judge
`
`Lamberth
`
`found
`
`that
`
`the
`
`sanctions
`
`were warranted
`
`because
`
`of
`
`the
`
`"groundless
`
`nature
`
`of
`
`the
`
`(bankruptcy]
`
`appeal,
`
`unfounded
`
`whatsoever
`
`in the law."
`
`2 Mr. Kearney was opposing counsel
`in a case against one of Mr. Clevenger's
`Mr. Kcamoy is dated December 29, 2014, and is COG's Exhibit
`1.
`3
`Robertson v. Cartinhour
`resulted in ajury verdict against Mr. Clevenger's
`in compensatory damages and $3.5 million in punitive damages.
`
`million
`
`clients. ‰ letter from
`in the amount of $3.5
`
`client
`
`22
`
`
`
`INDEX NO. 518372/2017
`FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/03/2018 02:17 PM
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`II
`
`2. On April
`
`3, 2012,
`
`the D.C. Circuit
`
`affirmed
`
`the jury's
`
`$7 million
`
`verdict
`
`in Robertson
`
`Iand
`
`found
`
`that Robertson
`
`presented
`
`"no meritorious
`
`argument
`
`on appeal."
`
`3. On May
`
`4, 2012,
`
`Bankruptcy
`
`Judge
`
`Teel
`
`granted
`
`a motion
`
`for
`
`sanctions
`
`and fined
`
`Messrs.
`
`Clevenger
`
`and Robertson
`
`$10,000
`
`each,
`
`finding
`
`that
`
`"Clevenger
`
`joined
`
`Robertson
`
`in
`
`knowingly
`
`and
`
`in
`
`bad
`
`faith
`
`advancing
`
`frivolous
`
`arguments
`
`in [the]
`
`bankruptcy
`
`case."
`
`4. On June
`
`12, 2012, Mr. Clevenger
`
`filed
`
`an appeal
`
`in the D.C. Circuit
`
`seeking
`
`review
`
`of
`
`this Court's
`
`dismissal
`
`of Robertson
`
`II.
`
`5.
`
`On June 25, 2012, Chief
`
`Judge Lambeith
`
`ordered Messrs. Clevenger
`
`and Robertson
`
`to
`
`show cause why
`
`they
`
`"should
`
`not be enjoined
`
`from further
`
`filings
`
`[in the bankruptcy-
`
`related matters),
`
`filing
`
`further
`
`appeals
`
`from the underlying
`
`bankruptcy
`
`case, and from
`
`new related matters
`
`in this
`
`district
`
`court."
`
`Chief
`
`Judge
`
`Lamberth
`
`responded
`
`to
`
`!
`
`behavior
`
`filing
`
`their
`
`objections
`
`on July 25, 2012,
`
`by listing
`
`the egregious
`
`engaged
`
`in dating
`
`back
`
`to the inception
`
`of Robertson
`
`I.4
`
`The Panel
`
`has determined
`
`that
`
`there
`
`is both
`
`a factual
`
`and legal
`
`basis
`
`for
`
`the charges
`
`filed
`
`by COG against Mr. Clevenger.
`
`The Panel notes
`
`that Mr. Clevenger
`
`submitted
`
`written
`
`responses
`
`.
`
`to the charges
`
`filed
`
`by COG.
`
`Those
`
`responses
`
`included:
`
`Mr. Clevenger's
`
`Motion
`
`to Dismiss,
`
`Dkt.
`
`6, a Motion
`
`to Permit
`
`Discovery,
`
`Dkt.
`
`4, and a Motion
`
`to Transfer,
`
`Dkt.
`
`5.
`
`In the Motion
`
`to
`
`Dismiss,
`
`Mr. Clevetiger
`
`alleged
`
`that he was a victim of selective
`
`prosecution.
`
`See Dkt.
`
`6 at 2-3.
`
`However,
`
`in a written
`
`Order
`
`issued
`
`by this Panel
`
`on October
`
`26, 2016,
`
`all
`
`of Mr. Clevenger's
`
`motions
`
`were
`
`denied.
`
`See Dkt.
`
`25. With
`
`regard
`
`to the selective
`
`prosecution
`
`defense,
`
`this Panel
`
`stated
`
`in its Order
`
`that Mr.
`
`Clevenger
`
`"has
`
`not
`
`identified
`
`any
`
`evidence
`
`that would
`
`support
`
`a
`
`'colorable
`
`claim'
`
`of selective
`
`prosecution."
`
`Id
`
`at 2.
`
`4
`
`See COG Exhibit
`
`33 - Robertson v. Cartinhour,
`
`883 F. Supp. 2d 121, 124 (D.D.C. 2012).
`
`33
`
`
`
`FILED: KINGS COUNTY CLERK 01/03/2018 02:17 PM
`FILED
`KINGS
`COUNTY
`CLERK
`11/14
`:
`/2017
`: 51
`12
`P14
`NYSCEF DOC. NO. 126
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`41
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`1:16-mc-02240-CRC-RDM-APM
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`INDEX NO. 518372/2017
`INDEX
`NO.
`518372/2017
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`EF:
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`26
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`
`I
`
`An evidentiary
`
`hearing
`
`was scheduled
`
`in this matter
`
`for November
`
`29, 2016. Meanwhile,
`
`at
`
`the conclusion
`
`of
`
`the motions
`
`hearing
`
`on October
`
`14, 2016,
`
`the parties
`
`were
`
`encouraged
`
`to
`
`explore
`
`ways
`
`in which
`
`this matter
`
`could
`
`be resolved.
`
`Consistent
`
`with
`
`the Panel's
`
`encouragement
`
`to work
`
`toward
`
`a resolution,
`
`it was reported
`
`to the Panel
`
`that Mr. Clevenger
`
`and COG entered
`
`negotiations
`
`and have reached
`
`a settlement.
`
`OMR
`
`Based
`
`upon
`
`the agreed
`
`terms
`
`reached
`
`by the parties,
`
`it
`
`is on this
`
`300'
`
`day of Novernber
`
`2016,
`
`hereby ORDERED
`
`that:
`
`l.
`
`Respondent,
`
`be and
`
`suspended
`
`from practicing
`
`law in the
`
`Ty Clevenger,
`
`is hereby
`
`United
`
`States District
`
`Court
`
`for
`
`the District
`
`of Columbia
`
`for
`
`120 days
`
`from November
`
`29, 2016.
`
`2. Respondent,
`
`Ty Clevenger,
`
`is hereby
`
`fined
`
`in the amount
`
`of $5,000,00
`
`(Five
`
`Thousand
`
`Dollars)
`
`to be paid
`
`in full
`
`by no later
`
`than December
`
`30, 2016.
`
`3.
`
`The
`
`letter
`
`of
`
`resignation
`
`(Attachment
`
`A)
`
`from the Bar of
`
`this Court
`
`that
`
`is signed
`
`Respondent
`
`and which
`
`takes effect
`
`on March
`
`29, 2017
`
`(120
`
`days
`
`from November
`
`2016),
`
`is accepted
`
`by this Panel
`
`and is incorporated
`
`as an integral
`
`part of
`
`this Order.
`
`by
`
`29,
`
`SO ORDERED.
`
`Judge Christopher
`
`R. Cooper
`
`y
`
`dge
`
`ndolph
`
`D. Moss
`
`Judge
`
`'
`
`ehta
`
`4
`
`