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William Dean Adams (WSBA No. 7565, admitted 1977), of Oak Harbor, was disbarred, effective November 2, 2006, by order of the Washington State Supreme Court following a stipulation approved by the Disciplinary Board. This discipline was based on his conduct in multiple matters involving the communication of false information to clients and commission of multiple acts of forgery. Mr. Adams is to be distinguished from William Douglas Adams of New Berlin and William Grey Adams of Carnation.
Between 2003 and 2005, Mr. Adams represented clients in four unrelated matters. Two of the matters were adoptions, and two were marital dissolutions. Mr. Adams took little or no action to pursue or complete the cases. In two of the matters, Mr. Adams never filed papers to initiate the cases and did not tell the clients that there were no pending proceedings. Eventually, Mr. Adams persuaded each client that the matter was final by fabricating and providing the client with a fake decree, in some instances bearing the forged signature of a superior court judge.
In 2006, Mr. Adams pleaded guilty to four felony counts of forgery. He was sentenced to serve a total of four months in jail and to pay restitution to the clients.
Mr. Adams’s conduct violated RPC 1.4, requiring a lawyer to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter, promptly comply with reasonable requests for information, and explain a matter to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions regarding the representation; 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(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 law.
Joanne S. Abelson represented the Bar Association. Mr. Adams represented himself. |