| Description: |
Virginia S. Lauver (WSBA No. 33377, admitted 2003), of Spokane, was disbarred, effective May 9, 2006, by order of the Washington State Supreme Court following a stipulation approved by the Disciplinary Board. This discipline was based on her conduct between 2002 and 2004 involving multiple acts of forgery and submission of false information on a loan application.
In December 2002, Ms. Lauver filed petition for dissolution of marriage from her husband. Ms. Lauver did not serve her husband with a summons. Ms. Lauver subsequently filed an acceptance of service, which had been signed by her husband at her request in March 2003. The dissolution was ultimately granted by default, finalized, and filed with the court in June 2003. Ms. Lauver did not inform her husband of the finality of the dissolution proceedings, even when it was clear to her that he was unaware of it. In the divorce decree, dated May 30, 2003, Ms. Lauver’s husband was awarded a 160-acre piece of property in Ada County, Idaho.
In June 2003, Ms. Lauver opened her own law practice in Spokane. In 2004, another lawyer joined Ms. Lauver’s firm as a partner. In May 2004, Ms. Lauver filed a quitclaim deed at the Ada County Recorder’s Office. According to the face of the deed, Ms. Lauver’s former husband had awarded to Ms. Lauver title to the 160-acre property as a result of the divorce. Ms. Lauver forged her former husband’s signature on the deed. Ms. Lauver also forged the name of her law partner as notary on the deed.
Subsequently, Ms. Lauver obtained a bank loan secured by the Ada County property. In support of the application for the loan, Ms. Lauver falsely stated that her former husband had died. She supplied the bank with a modified copy of the divorce decree inaccurately showing that she had been awarded the property in the dissolution. At the same bank, Ms. Lauver and her law partner opened a business checking account, a line of credit account for $50,000, and a capital loan account for $10,000. In May 2004, Ms. Lauver forged her law partner’s signature or endorsement on three checks (totaling $43,800), payable to herself, on the business checking account. She used the money from the checks to pay for numerous items, which included personal debts and business debts.
In 2005, Ms. Lauver was charged with one count of forgery in Ada County and four counts of forgery in Spokane County. She pled guilty to one count of forgery in each county, with the single count of forgery in Spokane County encompassing the quitclaim deed as well as the three checks written on the business checking account.
Ms. Lauver’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; RPC 8.4(c), prohibiting a lawyer from engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; and RPC 8.4(d), prohibiting a lawyer from engaging in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.
Sachia Stonefeld Powell represented the Bar Association. J. Donald Curran represented Ms. Lauver. |