The Experience Short List of Attorney and Virginia State Bar indiscretions

• 1989-1995  Girlfriend's divorce.  Four attorneys and a Christian crusading attorney who threatened to destroy us - we were sinners.
• First two attorneys - Mr. Alveine G. Halago & Mr. Mason passed her on.
• Third attorney - Mr. A. Strode Brent overlooked dates, social services, police reports, husband's infidelity, cross dressing, gender alteration bill, claims of assault, threats and stalking. We heard that this attorney was running for political office (possible conflict of interest  ...  more...). At the time I told my girlfriend that it was his "strategy", he was letting the jerk hang themselves and their client, for the "end game" this attorney would present the facts - I was wrong.....
• Fourth Attorney - Ms. Judy A. Dugger After the the husband's civil suit was dropped the attorney gave us instructions for an "abuse of process" case against the husband's attorney. Our instructions were see a specific psychiatrist and wait six months. We saw the psychiatrist and six months pass at which time I called the attorney, they had forgotten about the case. I reminded them of the particulars at which time they said that they would not continue with the "abuse of process". Both myself and the psychiatrist tried to identify why this attorney dropped the case after being so specific in their strategy, both of us were told that it was dropped - period.
  • I had pre-paid the attorney for a court trial over the husband's civil suit. When it was apparent that this attorney dropped the "abuse of process" action I confronted them about the pre-payment. I used the Canon's to argue that keeping the overpayment was unethical. The attorney returned a portion of the payment - demonstrating the effectiveness of the Nine Canon's
  • We did not know this attorneys strategy for their "abuse of process", we called around to other attorneys to no avail, they did not have the knowledge of the case, a reluctance to engage and we did not know what to present to them that would convince them to address such a action against the husband's attorney. Throughout the representation this attorney had identified the following:
    • Prior attorney negligence. This became a question with the bankruptcy trustee in his determination of Mr. A. Strode Brent's malpractice.
    • The husband's attorney unethical conduct.
  • My girlfriend was dog bitten while walking, her only means of transportation. We continued to see the psychiatrist till 2003, in 2000 this psychiatrist called us up informing us of Mr. Thomas E. Burks desertion.
  • Visited the archives at which time we found the indescretions of Mr. A. Strode Brent, the quash of mental health records and the realestate agent's Rule to Show Cause.
• Mr. J. Michael Sharman - Husband's attorney stated that he was not being paid, that we were sinners, he was going to destroy my girlfriend, had church members come to our house, had the courts release our street address to the husband who showed up again and assaulted my girlfriend (documented in a letter from this attorney).
  • My girlfriend got pregnant but the stress resulted in her hemorrhaging, blood was everywhere so she had an abortion when the husbands attorney found out we became murderers - hence his crusade against us. Course the husbands illegitimate child was not the issue, thanks to Mr. A. Strode Brent's strategy.
• Mr. Robert G. Mayer - Bankruptcy trustee addressing the issue of Mr. A. Strode Brent's malpractice and payment for services. They dismissed a claim that Mr. A. Strode Brent did not use a statute of limitations to stop the civil suit, because the third attorney did not make note of the incident. This could have been refuted with the following:
  • Mr. Mason would have made note, because I had repeatedly stressed that the dates were incorrect. When I was being prosecuted for criminal "infliction of emotional distress", the charges were dropped because Mr. Mason used evidence that Mr. Brent never used.
  • With us Ms. Judy A. Dugger repeated claims of dealing with Mr. A. Strode Brent mistakes. Were the statements of a professional dismissed / covered up by the trustee ?
  • My girlfriend had made a diary entry on that date and had discussed the incident with her social services counselor.
  • The deadline the trustee had set for the bankruptcy passed, Ms. Judy A. Dugger informed us that Mr. A. Strode Brent had NOT made a claim, allegedly this was confirmed. A week later my girlfriend was informed that Mr. A. Strode Brent made a claim. There is suspicion that there was collusion between Mr. A. Strode Brent and Mr. J. Michael Sharman and Mr. Robert G. Mayer (it was suggested that the husbands attorney had made some phone calls).
• Virginia State Bar - I found the Code of Professional Responsibility addressing Ms. Judy A. Dugger. The use of Canon's to address the overpayment issue identified that they were somewhat effective and did provide some leverage, the threat of a complaint against Ms. Judy A. Dugger.
  The Virginia State Bar makes the claim that one can file a Civil Malpractice action - or - Writ of habeas corpus, not being legal professionals this would require that we retain another attorney. My girlfriend was "Bankrupt" after this case was completed - she/we were not in the position to buy legal representation.
  
  We were not in a position to regulate the "bad apples" of the Virginia State Bar. Mr. Brent's malpractice issue came up in my girlfriends bankruptcy, given the role Mr. Robert G. Mayer had in this affair I consider that he represented the courts and the Virginia State Bar. Was he impartial or did he represent a bias ?
• 1995-2000  Girlfriends dog bite injury - found out that this attorney stole settlements and deserted clients in 2000.  Fifth attorney - Mr. Thomas E. Burks retained in 1995 deserts in 2000, after five years.
• Advice of counsel to wait till the injury is resolved before readdressing the "abuse of process".
• Meeting with insurance agent, claiming that we had a case - five years pass.
• He was charged for incidents in October 1998, June 1999 and November 1999, the first incident was nearly two years after my girlfriend had retained him.
• Attorney deserts, according to the Washington Post stealing settlements. During this period we were repeatedly told that the insurance company was delaying, had lost their client, that the attorney would have to file a bench warrant for the client.
• Attorney had given instructions to see specialists - girlfriends leg kept collapsing, nerve damage (still does). When he deserted he left her in debt.
• Interviewed counsel who told us the injury case was too old, too long a period, case was damaged and that the Bar would take all the deserters assets. When the injury/deserter item was dismissed, we tried to address the "abuse of process", the response to that was mirth.
• Virginia State Bar - this "member desertion event" identified to me that the Canon's had been discarded, specifically Canon 1, Maintaining Integrity and Competence of the Legal Profession.
  • Given the Bar's policy of avoidance we question how diligently the Bar researched my girlfriends case. Did the insurance company pay and the attorney keep the illusion of an open case ?
  • The Bar sent my girlfriend her files and dismissed her case, claiming it was still active.
  • We did not find a letter from the insurance company that the case was still open.
  • Went to hearing where the Bar attorneys laughed at my girlfriend because she was a probono client. Injured, unemployed and bankrupt my girlfriend lost hope.
  The Virginia State Bar makes the claim that one can file a Civil Malpractice action - or - Writ of habeas corpus, not being legal professionals this would require that we retain another attorney. My girlfriend was Deserted, "Bankrupt", injured and further in debt because of the medical specialist demanded by this attorney - she/we were not in the position to buy legal representation.
  
  If the Bar was interested in Maintaining Integrity and Competence of the Legal Profession they would have ensured that the clients of negligent members would be represented, that the institution still adhered to these "Canon's" of conduct. The costs would have been added to the damages caused by the their member - in our case this was not done, the institution had transitioned away from Maintaining Integrity and Competence of the Legal Profession in Virginia.
  
  Again we were not in a position to regulate the "bad apples" of the Virginia State Bar.
• 2005  Prescription fraud and Police brutality.  Two attorneys [sixth & seventh attorneys] we retained to address "felony prescription fraud", "conspiracy to commit fraud" and "knowingly attempt to intimidate or impede by force a law-enforcement officer". Girlfriend/we had made some mistakes she had a total breakdown that resulted in her going back to Social Services (Community Services Board).
• Severe reaction to medication provided by Community Services Board (CSB).
  • Girlfriends counselor had left for another job.
  • CSB doctor gave her two months of Zoloft.
  • Girlfriend was not being monitored
  • Girlfriend had a severe reaction to the Zoloft.
  • When my girlfriend identified the reaction to CSB, they told her the following:
    • CSB would not see her till the next appointment in two months.
    • CSB claimed that Zoloft had some effects but my girlfriend should get "used" to it.
    • If the reaction got too bad, my girlfriend should go to the ER.
  • ER would provide one weeks worth of medication to aid in the reaction and would tell her that she should get used to the Zoloft. One week would pass, medication would run out and the Zoloft reaction would return - the ER, CVS pharmacy cycle.
• Three weeks had passed, another month before CSB would address the medication, we were on our third ER - CVS cycle when the CVS pharmacist called the police on us.
• My girlfriend was sitting waiting for the prescription in a very lethargic state. I was approached by a police officer in CVS as I was shopping and considering how to address this medication problem.
  • Police officer did not identify the reason for his approach or demand for my id.
  • Police officer lied on their report, I did provide id, I did submit for arrest.
  • I was assaulted - tasered three times, maced, choked and hit by the police.
  • I was incarcerated.
  • My girlfriend was left to hitchhike ten miles home from jail in a drug impaired state.
  • My friend found my girlfriend nearly comatose at home requiring that an ambulance pick her up.
• Sixth Attorney - Mr. Raymond D. Kline (girlfriends) did not contact the ER doctor or CSB staff to ascertain my girlfriends state - CSB was concerned that these attorneys would represent us, take notice. This attorney referred my attorney - Mr. Donald R. Daugherty with a claim that they would work together to ensure we were adequately represented.
• Seventh Attorney - Mr. Donald R. Daugherty (mine) did not obtain the CVS store video to refute the lies on the police report. Did not reply to phone calls or letters mailed to obtain said video after my hearing where he convinced me to plead guilty by implying that the Virginia courts were kangaroo courts, a claim supported by the judges rant against the prosecutor.
• Virginia State Bar sided with these two attorneys in a letter stating that it does not address "strategy" complaints, but we could hire another member to address our issues with their members and address the assault issue.
  The Virginia State Bar makes the claim that one can file a Civil Malpractice action - or - Writ of habeas corpus, not being legal professionals this would require that we retain another attorney. My girlfriend had not been able to recover and we were both experiencing stress and health concerns - I used a mortgage payments to buy these two attorneys.
  
  Again we were not in a position to regulate the "bad apples" of the Virginia State Bar. Trying to obtain members to address malpractice by failures gets the response that was their "strategy", laughter and claims of "sour grapes". "Officer of the court" is a claim used by attorneys to avoid work, we get this response when one asks that their counsel refute a statement by opposing counsel. If cornered the member of the Bar will respond that they have to work too, that theirs is a business, identifying that making a phone call, presenting such things as witnesses, evidence and documents would cost too much.
• 2006-2007  Attempt to obtain competent counsel.  Pre-paid Legal Service and their referral law firm, The Framme Law Firm.
• Tried to get them to address the Police assault to no avail.
• Tried to get them to get my girlfriend out of the financial trouble she found herself in they missed a court date in providing a referral.
• In 2007 after filing a complaint with the BBB and the Virginia State Bar they informed us that they had sent a letter of referral, that we never got.
• Virginia State Bar sided with the Service and the Law Firm - year with no solution.
  The Virginia State Bar makes the claim that one can file a Civil Malpractice action - or - Writ of habeas corpus, not being legal professionals this would require that we retain another attorney. My girlfriend had not been able to recover I found out that I had Sleep Apnea but the damage had been done - my girlfriend had a mental breakdown.
  
  Again we were not in a position to regulate the "bad apples" of the Virginia State Bar.
• 2007-present  Another attempt at competent counsel.  Hired an attorney to address my girlfriends immediate issue. This attorney did represent my girlfriend - negotiating a status quo.
• When we retained him he was with a firm.
• I paid him he went to court and then sent an invoice claiming that we had a credit.
• Several weeks later he wrote and claimed that he was leaving the firm asking if we still wanted him, my girlfriend said yes.
• We then received an invoice demanding that I pay another several hundred dollars, I paid and included a letter requesting an explanation for the change, that the original numbers did not match what I had paid and the totals did not make sense. Still have not received a response from this attorney - I have been making my girlfriends judgment payments so the opposing counsel has not attacked.
• In correspondences to this attorney I asked about having my girlfriend file bankruptcy again (it has been more than seven years), no response. I have not been able to address all my girlfriends issues and she is now in a fragile mental state.
• Virginia State Bar - I have not contacted them about this attorney, expect that this will be dismissed as just a billing issue and some excuse would be made for his not addressing my girlfriends other issues.
  The Virginia State Bar makes the claim that one can file a Civil Malpractice action - or - Writ of habeas corpus, not being legal professionals this would require that we retain another attorney. Not even worth contacting the Bar - it is now December 11, 2008, still no response to my inquiries about the invoice discrepancies.
  
  Again we were not in a position to regulate the "bad apples" of the Virginia State Bar.

Virginia State Bar
If the oversight institution collected the "customer service" metric and used the results to review its members oversight may be effective. The clients would have leverage over this population and the service would improve. As it stands only two people know the case, the attorney and the client - if the client is silenced then the profession is open to abuse, to uncensored "bad apples". Not to collect this metric identifies a negligent institution who is committing fraud against society whenever they claim that they have a diligent population.

So just how diligent is the Virginia State Bar, when it:

• Does not Maintain the Integrity and Competence of the Legal Profession - discarded in 2000.
• Does not accept complaints from "disgruntled" clients, dismisses "service" or "strategy" ?
  • Because of attorney/client privilege only two parties know the issues. Not the judge, not the jury or opposition - no one else knows what was available.
  • Reluctance of its members to prosecute each other removes the effectiveness of client oversight - implied by the Virginia State Bar in correspondence.
  • If the client tries "self representation" they face a bias court system that is reluctant to go against one of their associates as a result of an ingrained bias against clients, perception of disgruntled client.
• Because the Bar dismiss clients complaints, its claim of a diligent membership has no foundation, the claim is a fraud.
• Because the Bar changed its policies in 2000 identifies intent to avoid its responsibilities to society of ensuring a competent membership.

There is a competency and diligence problem with this institution. When one hires one of its members one does not know whether they will be competently represented because complaints from other clients are not maintained. Does the member have a history of "overlooking" material, covered up by personal "strategy" ? If the court never hears the material it cannot render an informed judgment and if it cannot make such a ruling then the integrity of the courts and their cases are in question.