In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against Charles Mayer Goldstein, a Minnesota Attorney, Registration No. 0187768. ( 2015 )

STATE OF MINNESOTA
December 8, 2015
IN SUPREME COURT O me~EOF
Arra.wEDaln
A15-1641
In re Petition for Disciplinary Action against
Charles Mayer Goldstein, a Minnesota Attorney,
Registration No. 0187768.
ORDER
The Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility has filed a
petition for disciplinary action alleging that respondent Charles Mayer Goldstein
committed professional misconduct warranting public discipline-namely, failing to
maintain required trust account books and records, resulting in shortages in his trust
account; permitting a non-lawyer staff to use his signature stamp on trust account checks;
and making ambiguous statements during a court hearing, thereby delaying the resolution
of a motion. See Minn. R. Prof. Conduct 1.15(a), 1.15(c)(3 ), 1.15U), 8.4( d).
Respondent waives his procedural rights under Rule 14, Rules on Lawyers
Professional Responsibility (RLPR), and unconditionally admits the allegations in the
petition. The parties jointly recommend that the appropriate discipline is a public
reprimand and 2 years of probation.
The court has independently reviewed the file and approves the recommended
disposition.
Based upon all the files , records, and proceedings herein,
1
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
1. Respondent Charles Mayer Goldstein is publicly reprimanded.
2. Respondent shall pay $900 in costs pursuant to Rule 24, RLPR.
3. Respondent shall be placed on probation for a period of 2 years, subject to
the following conditions:
(a) Respondent shall cooperate fully with the Director's Office in its
efforts to monitor compliance with this probation. Respondent shall
promptly respond to the Director's correspondence by its due date.
Respondent shall provide the Director with a current mailing address and
shall immediately notify the Director of any change of address.
Respondent shall cooperate with the Director's investigation of any
allegations of unprofessional conduct that may come to the Director's
attention. Upon the Director's request, respondent shall provide
authorization for release of information and documentation to verify
respondent's compliance with the terms of this probation;
(b) Respondent shall abide by the Minnesota Rules of Professional
Conduct; and
(c) Respondent has stated that he is not presently engaged in the practice
of law. If respondent resumes the practice of law, he shall maintain law
office and trust account books and records in compliance with Minn. R.
Prof. Conduct 1.15 and Appendix 1 to the Rules. These books and records
include the following: client subsidiary ledger, checkbook register,
monthly trial balances, monthly trust account reconciliation, bank
statements, cancelled checks, duplicate deposit slips and bank reports of
interest, service charges, and interest payments to the Minnesota IOL TA
Program. Such books and records shall be made available to the Director
within 30 days from the date respondent resumes practicing law and
thereafter shall be made available to the Director at such intervals as he
deems necessary to determine compliance.
Dated: December 8, 2015
David R. Stras
Associate Justice
2