FOR THE RESPONDENT FOR THE INDIANA SUPREME COURT
DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION
James N. Scahill, pro se Donald R. Lundberg, Executive Secretary
Seth T. Pruden, Staff Attorney
115 West Washington Street, Suite 1165
Indianapolis, IN 46204
IN THE
SUPREME COURT OF INDIANA ______________________________________________________________
IN THE MATTER OF )
) Case No. 49S00-0103-DI-172
JAMES N. SCAHILL )
__________________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINARY ACTION
. . .
(4) offer evidence that the lawyer knows to be false.
If a lawyer has offered material evidence and comes
to know of its falsity, the lawyer shall take reasonable
remedial measures.
Pursuant to Ind. Admission and Discipline Rule 23(15), the Commission has petitioned this
Court for review of the hearing officers report, arguing that a finding of
misconduct is proper in this case. Our jurisdiction in this case arises
from the respondents admission to the bar of this state in 1984.
We find that the respondent represented a client in a dissolution action.
The clients Financial Declaration filed with the court on September 5, 1995, showed
the client owned an individual retirement account (IRA) containing $72,500. By March
30, 1996, the IRA had grown to $80,500. On that date, the
client withdrew the IRA in cash without the knowledge of his wife or
the respondent. A few days later, the client told the respondent that
he had cashed in the IRA but lost the proceeds at an Indianapolis
restaurant.
The trial court conducted the final hearing in the dissolution matter on May
21, 1996, at which the division of the marital estate was contested.
Both the respondent and opposing counsel presented evidence that the marital estate included
the IRA, which both parties valued at $72,500. Neither the respondent nor
his client informed the court or the opposing side that the IRA no
longer existed.
Unaware of the loss of the IRA, the trial court entered a decree
on June 21, 1996, awarding to the clients ex-wife a percentage of the
sale of the marital residence and $40,920 of the IRA. The respondent
filed a Motion to Correct Errors on July 19, 1996, in which he
argued that the trial court had failed to consider his clients pre-marriage contribution
to the IRA. The motion did not reveal the clients dissipation of
the IRA.
The trial court issued an amended decree on October 29, 1996. That
decree reduced the ex-wifes share of the IRA to $20,866.80 and ordered payment
to her from the account within 60 days. The respondent still did
not inform the court that the IRA no longer existed.
The client failed to pay his ex-wife the $20,866.80 as ordered and sought
to discharge his obligations by filing a bankruptcy petition. The dissolution court
later conducted a hearing at which the client said he had emptied the
IRA, traveled to a fast food restaurant with the $80,500 from the account,
fell asleep in the mens restroom, and awoke without the money.
In finding no misconduct, the hearing officer noted that the Financial Declaration, pursuant
to the instructions on that form, listed the IRA at its value as
of the date the petition for dissolution of marriage was filed. Therefore,
the hearing officer concluded that the Financial Declaration did not contain false evidence.
The hearing officer further determined that the respondent had no duty to
disclose the clients dissipation of the IRA to the court or to the
other side; therefore, no criminal or fraudulent concealment occurred. The Commission argues
that the failure to disclose the dissipation amounted to a fraud on the
court.
The elements of constructive fraud are: (i) a duty owing by the party
accused of the misconduct to the complaining party due to their relationship; (ii)
violation of that duty by the making of deceptive material misrepresentations of past
or existing facts or by remaining silent when a duty to speak exists;
(iii) reliance thereon by the complaining party; (iv) injury to the complaining party
as a proximate result thereof; and (v) the gaining of an advantage by
the party accused of the misconduct at the expense of the complaining party.
Rice v. Strunk, 670 N.E.2d 1280 (Ind. 1996).
The respondent contends he owed no duty to reveal the IRA and, thus,
constructive fraud has not been proved. He relies on Selke v. Selke,
600 N.E.2d 100 (Ind. 1992), in which we addressed the clients duty to
disclose the value of an asset where the other party knew of its
existence but did not inquire as to its value before entry into a
final settlement agreement:
While a duty to disclose asset value information may
arise from unique factual circumstances including
the express terms of a property settlement agreement,
or from a request for discovery under the Indiana Trial
Rules, such a duty of spontaneous disclosure is not
imposed as a matter of law by Ind. Code 31-1-1.5-11(b)
11(c) of the Indiana Dissolution of Marriage Act.
Clearly there is no express statutory duty of mandatory
disclosure. Nor can such a duty reasonably be inferred
from the Act.
600 N.E.2d at 101-102.
Contrary to the clients claims, Selke supports a finding of a duty to
disclose here, inasmuch as it recognizes that such a duty may arise from
the circumstances or discovery rules. Here, a duty to disclose arose from
both.
By local rule, the Financial Declaration required by the trial court constituted mandatory
discovery which required supplementation under Ind. Trial Rule 26(E)(2) and (3). Marion
County Family Law Rule 6(E) (1996), now Rule 4(E). Trial Rule
26(E)(2)(b) requires a party to supplement a response when information that was correct
when made is no longer true and the circumstances are such that a
failure to amend the response is in substance a knowing concealment.
The clients failure to amend the Financial Declaration amounted to a knowing concealment
under the circumstances. The Financial Declaration listed the IRA as an asset
with a value of $72,500 at the time the petition for dissolution was
filed. The net marital estate was valued at $154,434, and the IRA
was the most valuable asset within it. When the client cashed in
the IRA and lost the proceeds, the IRA ceased to exist and no
longer was a tangible asset which could be divided by the dissolution court.
The trial court could not fulfill its duty of dividing all marital
property in a just and reasonable manner as required then by Ind.Code
31-1-11.5-11 (now Ind.Code 31-15-7-4) if it was unaware of the loss of a
marital asset comprising nearly half of the net marital estate. The client
knew or should have known that the loss of the most valuable marital
asset would impact the manner in which the trial court accomplished the division
of the marital estate. Thus, we find that T.R. 26(E)(2)(b) imposed on
the client a duty to update the Financial Declaration to reflect his clients
dissipation of the IRA.
The respondent violated his professional duty by remaining silent regarding his clients actions
and by introducing evidence that the respondent knew misrepresented the current facts.
The trial courts original and amended decrees, as well as the evidence submitted
by the respondents wife at the final hearing, reflect that the trial court
and the clients wife relied on the representation that the IRA was an
existing marital asset. Both the court and the wife were damaged by
this reliance; the trial court was misled into entering an award which could
not be enforced, and the clients ex-wife did not receive her share of
the IRA as ordered. The respondents actions benefited his client, who escaped
at least temporarily the obvious financial consequences of his conduct. Given our
finding of constructive fraud by the client, we conclude that the respondent violated
Prof.Cond.R. 3.3(a)(2) by failing to disclose a material fact to a tribunal when
disclosure was necessary to avoid assisting a fraudulent act against a tribunal by
the client.
We also find that the respondent, through his failure to update the Financial
Declaration and his submission of evidence at the final hearing indicating the existence
of the IRA, presented false evidence in violation of Prof.Cond.R. 3.3(a)(4). The
Financial Declaration listed the IRA as a marital asset, and the respondent submitted
evidence at the final hearing that the IRA was a marital asset.
Even after the trial court awarded the wife a substantial sum from the
IRA account, the respondent did not disclose that the IRA no longer existed.
Instead, he advocated in his motion to correct errors a change in
the decree reducing, but not eliminating, the wifes share of the IRA.
The respondents continued submission of an incorrect Financial Declaration and his presentation of
evidence at the final hearing and in his motion to correct errors as
to the IRAs existence constituted presentation of false evidence in violation of Prof.Cond.R.
3.3(a)(4).
We recognize the tension between the duty to keep a client confidence under
Prof.Cond.R. 1.6 and the obligations under Prof.Cond.R. 3.3(a)(2) and 3.3(a)(4). There are
circumstances where resignation is the appropriate step. See, e.g., Comment to Prof.Cond.R.
1.6 (withdrawal mandatory under rule where lawyers services will be used by the
client in materially furthering course of criminal or fraudulent conduct). However, proceeding
to facilitate a clients misleading of the court is not an acceptable option.
Having found misconduct, we must now assess an appropriate discipline for it.
In making this assessment, we note the respondent believed he would be violating
his duties to his client if he disclosed the clients dissipation of the
IRA. However, the respondents actions complicated the dissolution matter, prompted the entry
of two decrees incapable of execution, and ensured the clients ex-wife would not
receive her fair share of the marital estate immediately, if at all.
Given these competing considerations, and the respondents lack of any prior disciplinary action,
we find that an admonishment adequately addresses the respondents misconduct. See, e.g.,
Matter of Thonert, 733 N.E.2d 932 (Ind. 2000) (public reprimand for failure to
disclose to appellate tribunal and client controlling adverse authority known to him); Matter
of Anonymous, case number 49S00-9003-DI-197 (Ind. 1992) (private reprimand for failing to disclose
death of client in claim for damages from the Indiana Patients Compensation Fund).
Accordingly, the respondent, James N. Scahill, is hereby reprimanded and admonished for his
misconduct.
The Clerk of this Court is directed to provide notice of this order
in accordance with Admis.Disc.R. 23(3)(d) and to provide the clerk of the United
States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the clerk of each of
the United States District Courts in this state and the clerks of the
United States Bankruptcy Courts in this state with the last known address of
respondent as reflected in the records of the Clerk.
Cost of this proceeding are assessed against the respondent.
Dickson, Sullivan, Boehm, and Rucker, JJ., concur.
Shepard, C.J., concurs in the finding of misconduct, but believes the misconduct warrants
a short period of suspension.