Local Rule Rule 84.4: ATTORNEY MISCONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS

Rule 84.4 ATTORNEY MISCONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS

(a) Disciplinary Action for Misconduct. For misconduct defined in these Rules, and for good cause shown, and after notice and opportunity to be heard, any attorney admitted to practice before this Court may be disbarred, suspended from practice before this Court, reprimanded or subjected to such other disciplinary action as the circumstances may warrant.

(b) Definition of Misconduct. Acts or omissions by an attorney admitted to practice before this Court, individually or in concert with any other person or persons, which violate the Rules of Professional Conduct adopted by this Court shall constitute misconduct and shall be grounds for discipline. This Court shall apply the Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys at Law, as they have been adopted by the Wyoming Supreme Court.

(c) Definition of Serious Crime. As used under Rule 84.4-84.13, the term "serious crime" shall include any felony and any lesser crime, a necessary element of which, as determined by the statutory or common law definitions of such crime in the jurisdiction where the judgment was entered, involved false swearing, misrepresentation, fraud, willful failure to file income tax returns, deceit, bribery, extortion, misappropriation, theft, or an attempt, or a conspiracy or solicitation of another to commit a "serious crime."

(d) Definition of Disciplinary Counsel. The term "disciplinary counsel" as used under Rule 84.4-84.13, or whenever "disciplinary counsel" is to be appointed to investigate allegations of misconduct or prosecute disciplinary proceedings, or in conjunction with a reinstatement petition filed by a disciplined attorney, shall refer to disciplinary counsel for the Wyoming State Bar or the designee of the Wyoming State Bar assigned to conduct disciplinary actions on its behalf. If counsel for the Wyoming State Bar declines or refuses to serve as disciplinary counsel or such appointment is clearly inappropriate, this Court shall appoint as disciplinary counsel one or more members of the Bar of this Court to investigate allegations of misconduct or to prosecute disciplinary proceedings under these Rules. The respondent-attorney may move to disqualify disciplinary counsel if he or she is engaged as an adversary of the respondent-attorney in any matter. Disciplinary counsel, once appointed, may not resign unless permission to do so is given by this Court.

(e) Confidentiality. Proceedings under Rule 84.4-84.13 shall be confidential, except that any opinion and order entered by the Court disbarring, suspending, or imposing other discipline upon an attorney shall be placed on the public record unless otherwise ordered by the Court.