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Dean E. White (WSBA No. 27282, admitted 1997), of Spokane, was suspended for six months, effective March 16, 2009, by order of the Washington State Supreme Court following approval of a stipulation. This discipline was based on conduct involving the commission of a felony crime.
On November 7, 2007, Mr. White engaged in an altercation with his then-girlfriend, Ms. P, who was also his law partner at that time. On October 8, 2008, Mr. White entered a guilty plea to the crime of unlawful imprisonment involving domestic violence (RCW 9A.40.040), a class-C felony, based on the November 7, 2007, event. Mr. White’s guilty plea was an Alford plea by which he agreed to allow the court to review the police records and/or statement of probable cause supplied by the prosecution. The statement of probable cause contains the following allegations: Mr. White and Ms. P got into an argument after Mr. White backed into a vehicle in a parking lot and refused to leave information on the vehicle. At the time, Mr. White was driving Ms. P’s automobile. Mr. White drove Ms. P to their law office. He then forced her into the office and used her keys to lock the door behind him, trapping her in the building. A third party witnessed part of the altercation from outside the office and called the police, who arrived and freed Ms. P. There were allegations that Mr. White assaulted Ms. P, which were dismissed in the criminal proceedings as part of the plea bargain.
Mr. White’s conduct violated RPC 8.4(b), prohibiting a lawyer from committing a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects; and RPC 8.4(i), prohibiting a lawyer from committing any act involving moral turpitude, or corruption, or any unjustified act of assault or other act which reflects disregard for the rule of the law, whether the same be committed in the course of his or her conduct as a lawyer or otherwise.
Jonathan H. Burke represented the Bar Association. Julie A. Twyford represented Mr. White. |