Author Question: Attorney Anter is a criminal defense lawyer. In the case of Rio, Anter failed to adequately prepare ... (Read 45 times)

eruditmonkey@yahoo.com · **on:** Aug 3, 2018

Attorney Anter is a criminal defense lawyer. In the case of Rio, Anter failed to adequately prepare for the case, barely spoke to his client until the trial got under way and failed to properly cross-examine prosecution witnesses. According to the judge who heard the case, Anter should not have put Rio on the witness stand because Rio admitted being a member of a gang which probably helped the jury decide that he was guilty of being involved in a drive-by shooting. The judge set aside the jury's verdict. Anter:

A) may be guilty of negligence depending upon the standard of competence in his community.
B) is guilty of negligence for failure to represent Rio competently if his action/inaction fell below the standard of care of the reasonable lawyer under the circumstances.
C) is not guilty of negligence because the judge set aside the jury's verdict.
D) is guilty of negligence unless he refunds the money he took from the client's family.

Question 2

Attorney Resp is a criminal defense attorney who drinks heavily most nights. He represents a man who has been accused of burglarizing federal offices. Resp did some preliminary investigation on the case but has misplaced his notes. Additionally, in his regular morning stupor, he ordinarily forgets to perform simple tasks such as interviewing or subpoening witnesses.

On the morning of trial, Resp approached the Assistant State's Attorney (ASA) handling the case about postponing the trial. The ASA told Resp he would oppose any request for a postponement. Resp informed the ASA that he needed the postponement because he was in a continuing trial before Judge Provost in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and that he needed to be in that court at 10:45 that morning. Resp and the ASA then went before the judge for a hearing on Resp's request for a postponement. During that hearing, Resp stated two reasons for his request.

The first was the absence of a defense witness who had not been subpoenaed by Resp. The other reason stated by Resp was that he had been instructed to report to a courtroom in Baltimore City at 10:45 to start a trial that had been carried over from the previous week. Based on Resp's representation, the judge agreed to postpone the trial.

When the judge called Judge Provost at the Circuit Court in Baltimore City, he discovered that Resp had lied about starting a trial there. Resp is referred to the state bar for disciplinary proceedings. A likely outcome will be:

A) Resp will be suspended from the practice of law until he can prove he is sober.
B) Resp will be disbarred for continuing drunkeness.
C) Resp will not be disciplined if this is the first little white lie he has told to a judge.
D) Resp will be referred to an alcohol treatment program as part of any discipline.