Krickau v. Williams
Krickau v. Williams
Opinion of the Court
This is a petition asking for summary action against the respondent as an attorney at law. The petition was referred to the committee on complaints against members of the bar. After hearing, said committee reported the matter as one requiring examination by the court. A hearing was had before us at which the parties presented their testimony and arguments.
The petitioner claims that she loaned five hundred dollars to the respondent, and that in the transaction, the respondent committed fraud by reason of a false representation which he made to her as to his ownership of certain real estate upon which he gave the respondent a mortgage as collateral security for said loan.
At the time of making said loan and giving said mortgage the relation of attorney and client did not exist between the parties. The respondent at one time, had acted as attorney for the petitioner in an unimportant matter, but that had been concluded a number of years ago.
*87
The respondent further claims that although the legal title to said real estate was in his mother-in-law, the said mortgage in fact constituted a valuable security for said loan; that said lands and building were purchased by him with his own money and that, although the legal title was taken in the name of Mrs. Crittenden, she acknowledges the respondent’s ownership of said real estate and will recognize said mortgage as constituting a valid lien upon said real estate. In this claim, the respondent is fully supported by the affidavit of Mrs. Crittenden, which affidavit was admitted in evidence without objection by the petitioner.
The respondent further claims that at the time of giving said mortgage to the petitioner he fully explained these circumstances to her. This latter claim of the respondent is denied by the petitioner.
It appeared at the hearing that the respondent, since the commencement of these proceedings, has offered to repay said loan with interest and is still ready to do so; *88 but that the petitioner has not felt at liberty to accept said payment until the conclusion of these proceedings.
From the circumstances of this matter, it does not appear to us that a summary order against the respondent should be made upon this petition. The transaction in question was entirely unrelated to the professional character of the respondent. The summary jurisdiction of the court invoked by the petitioner arises from the control which the court will exercise over its officers in regard to those relations of trust and confidence existing between such officers and their clients, which relation arises from the special privilege conferred upon such officers and the special credit given to them by the court as persons worthy to assume such relations of trust and confidence. It is the well settled rule in this country that courts will not exercise such jurisdiction to compel an attorney to pay money or to perform any other act in matters unconnected with the professonal character of the attorney. 18 Ann. Cas. 115; 27 Ann. Cas. 234. In Windsor v. Brown, 15 R. I. 182, the money, for the payment of which the petitioner sought to obtain a summary order against the respondent, an attorney at law, came into the respondent’s hands by reason of his position of attorney at law acting for the petitioner. The petitioner, however, before filing her petition had brought an action at law against the respondent for the recovery of said money and had obtained judgment against him. The court recognized the principle that its summary jurisdiction over the respondent depended upon the existence of the relation of attorney and client between the parties and held that "the summary jurisdiction of the court cannot be invoked when the relation of attorney and client has been changed to that of debtor and creditor. ” Anderson v. Bosworth, 15 R. I. 443, was a petition for an order requiring the respondent to pay over certain moneys received by him as attorney. The court in that case held that, although the relation existing between the parties was not that of attorney and client it would grant the order on the ground *89 that the money came into the respondent’s hands as an .attorney at law; and the court recognized the principle as well settled that jurisdiction of this kind is restricted to matters in which the attorney has been employed in his professional character. Although the court will not make .a summary order against an attorney in matters of business between him and other persons, when such business is not related to his'profession, yet the court will, in any circumstances, for the integrity of the legal profession and the protection of the public, when it appears that the attorney is no longer worthy of confidence, declare his privilege as an .attorney entirely forfeited or restrain him by proper discipline. Crafts v. Lizotte, 34 R. I. 543.
In the matter at bar the court does not find that moral turpitude on the part of the respondent has been established or that under the testimony the court would be justified in the entry of any disciplinary order against the respondent.
The petition is denied and dismissed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Emma E. Krickau v. James A. Williams.
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published