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ALTHOUGH DEFENDANT’S ATTORNEY WAS SUSPENDED BY THE SECOND CIRCUIT BEFORE DEFENDANT’S TRIAL AND SUSPENDED IN NEW YORK JUST AFTER DEFENDANT’S TRIAL, DEFENDANT’S DEPRIVATION-OF-HIS-RIGHT-TO-COUNSEL AND INEFFECTIVE-ASSISTANCE ARGUMENTS WERE REJECTED; THE ATTORNEY WAS NOT OBLIGATED TO INFORM DEFENDANT OF HIS SUSPENSION OR THE PENDING SUSPENSION PROCEEDINGS (CT APP).

The Court of Appeals, in a full-fledged opinion by Judge Troutmam, affirmed defendant’s conviction. The court noted: (1) defendant’s attorney had been suspended by the Second Circuit before defendant’s trial; (2) defendant’s attorney was still licensed in New York at the time of the defendant’s trial and conviction; (3) defendant’s attorney was suspended in New York two weeks after defendant’s conviction; (4) the New York suspension was made “retroactive” to the date of the Second Circuit suspension (before defendant’s trial); (5) the attorney was not obligated to inform defendant of the suspension by the Second Circuit; and (6) the failure to inform defendant was considered pursuant to defendant’s ineffective-assistance argument on appeal. Defendant’s motion to vacate his conviction and his appeal were deemed properly rejected by the lower courts:

… [T]he imposition of reciprocal discipline is not a foregone conclusion, nor is the nature or length of any reciprocal discipline imposed certain. Defendant’s proposed rule would deprive attorneys of the due process to which they are entitled in pending reciprocal disciplinary proceedings. * * *

No statute, court order, or New York Rule of Professional Conduct affirmatively required [defendant’s attorney] to disclose the Second Circuit’s suspension or the pending reciprocal disciplinary proceedings in New York to defendant.  * * *

We decline to create a bright-line rule invariably requiring attorneys to affirmatively disclose the imposition of foreign discipline or pending reciprocal discipline proceedings to their clients in every case, where no court order or ethical rule requires such disclosure. …

Instead, we conclude that an attorney’s failure to disclose the imposition of foreign discipline and pending reciprocal disciplinary proceedings can adequately be assessed in the context of an ineffective assistance of counsel claim … . People v Burgos, 2022 NY Slip Op 01868, Ct App 3-17-22

Practice Point: There is no statute or rule which requires an attorney to disclose to his or her client a suspension from practice in a foreign jurisdiction or ongoing suspension proceedings in New York State.

 

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