In re Donald Harris ( 2020 )

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COURT OF APPEALS
No. 19-BG-1123
IN RE DONALD R. HARRIS, RESPONDENT.
A Member of the Bar of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals
(Bar Registration No. 485340)
On Report and Recommendation
Of the Board on Professional Responsibility
(DDN 364-17)
(Decided March 26, 2020)
Before: FISHER, THOMPSON, and MCLEESE, Associate Judges.
PER CURIAM: In this case, the Board on Professional Responsibility
accepted the recommendation of Hearing Committee Four that respondent be
suspended pursuant to D.C. Bar R. XI § 13(c). In its report, the Board stated that
this matter was referred to the Committee after respondent, who was previously
charged in a separate disciplinary proceeding with either reckless or intentional
misappropriation of entrusted funds, failed to comply with conditions imposed to
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protect the public while he continued to practice law pending the conclusion of his
disciplinary matter (Board Docket No. 19-BD-004). Specifically, in response to
that earlier disciplinary complaint, respondent asserted he suffered from a
disability that entitled him to mitigation of the disciplinary sanction. When
respondent first failed to comply with the conditions, Disciplinary Counsel filed a
motion to reconsider and the Board imposed additional conditions and warned
respondent that his failure to comply could subject him to the revocation of
conditions and the imposition of a suspension. Respondent again failed to comply,
and the Board referred the matter to Hearing Committee Four, which determined
that respondent was non-compliant and recommended that he be suspended
pending disposition of his original disciplinary proceeding. In response, the Board
accepted the recommendation and requests that this court immediately suspend
respondent pursuant to D.C. Bar R. XI § 13(c).
Respondent has failed to respond to this court’s order directing him to show
cause why he should not be suspended. Further, respondent previously
acknowledged that he failed to comply with the imposed conditions that would
permit him to practice law while his disciplinary case was pending. In light of the
Board’s report, we conclude that respondent has asserted a disability that impairs
his ability to practice law but has failed to comply with conditions imposed to
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protect the public; therefore, a disability suspension pursuant to D.C. Bar R. XI §
13(c) is needed to protect the public. Accordingly, it is
ORDERED that Donald R. Harris is hereby suspended from the practice of
law in the District of Columbia pursuant to D.C. Bar R. XI § 13(c) pending final
resolution of his disciplinary proceedings in Board Docket No. 19-BD-004. It is
FURTHER ORDERED that respondent’s attention is directed to the
obligations of a suspended attorney found in D. C. Bar R. XI § 14.
So ordered.