Ventura, CA 93004
15 July 2015 | Resigned (9 years, 9 months ago) Resignation, no charges pending |
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30 August 2001 | Active (23 years, 8 months ago) |
1 July 2001 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (23 years, 10 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 96-O-07619 |
22 February 2000 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 96-O-07619 (25 years, 2 months ago) |
29 June 1990 | Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 84-O-16319 (34 years, 10 months ago) |
25 August 1988 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 88-0-00158 (36 years, 8 months ago) |
11 January 1961 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (64 years, 4 months ago) |
July 1, 2001 MICHAEL HENRY CLEPPER [#30863], 66, of Riverside was suspended for three years, stayed, placed on probation for two years with a 60-day actual suspension, and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year and prove his rehabilitation and fitness to practice. The order took effect July 1, 2001. Clepper stipulated to failing to perform competently, return unearned fees, release files, respond to client inquiries or cooperate with the bar’s investigation.In 1990, an Alaska resident hired Clepper to register a divorce judgment, paying him $1,500 in advance fees. For nearly six years, Clepper failed to respond to the client, who finally demanded the return of her fees and file. Clepper, in turn, sent her a bill for $1,334.25In another case, he took $3,500 in advance fees to handle a divorce in 1998, then did little more than send a letter or two to the opposing party and conduct one telephone conference, a $793 value. The client demanded her money back, but Clepper did not repay the rest of the fees until he was under pressure by a State Bar investigation. In the third case, he substituted as attorney in a family law case, then did not return calls related to a child support matter in which payments were increasingly in arrears.Clepper showed a pattern of misconduct and has a prior record of discipline. In 1990, he received two years of probation for improperly withdrawing from employment, failing to perform and failing to return unearned fees.In mitigation, in 40 years of practice, he was disciplined just once, a decade ago. He served as a judge advocate for the U.S. Air Force and has received honors and awards for his services as an attorney. |