| Description: |
Jonny Ludington-Green aka Jonny Lee Morales (WSBA No. 18552, admitted 1989), of San Diego, California, was disbarred, effective January 17, 2007, by order of the Washington State Supreme Court following a default hearing. This discipline was based on her conduct between September 2001 and October 2002 involving the commission of a criminal act.
On November 28, 2005, Ms. Ludington-Green pleaded guilty to theft in the first degree, in violation of RCW 9A.56.030(1)(a) and 9A.56.020(1)(a) and (b), in King County Superior Court. Ms. Ludington-Green was the executive director of a domestic-violence outreach service (DVOS). Between September 2001 and September 2002, Ms. Ludington-Green had sole control of DVOS’s bank statements, debit cards, and PINs, and she was responsible for reconciling its account records. During that period, approximately $20,000 in undocumented or unauthorized withdrawals and expenditures were made from DVOS’s funds. Ms. Ludington-Green used some of those funds to pay her personal debts and some to pay herself for unauthorized and unearned vacation leave, sick leave, and bonuses. Ms. Ludington-Green also forged a check to pay for a non-DVOS-related conference.
Ms. Ludington-Green’s conduct violated RPC 8.4(b), prohibiting a lawyer from committing a criminal act (here, theft) 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; 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; RPC 8.4(k), prohibiting a lawyer from violating his or her oath as an attorney; and RPC 8.4(n), prohibiting a lawyer from engaging in conduct demonstrating unfitness to practice law.
Marsha A. Matsumoto represented the Bar Association. Ms. Ludington-Green did not appear either in person or through counsel. James M. Danielson was the hearing officer. |