Charles Henry Krohn was admitted to the California Bar 21st December 1977, but has since been disbarred. Charles graduated from University of San Diego SOL.

Lawyer Information

NameCharles Henry Krohn
First Admitted21 December 1977 (47 years, 6 months ago)
StatusDisbarred
Bar Number77073

Contact

Phone Number310-657-0742
Fax Number310-657-0742

Schools

Law SchoolUniversity of San Diego SOL (San Diego CA)
Undergraduate SchoolUniversity of California San Diego (La Jolla CA)

Address

Current Address8455 Beverly Blvd Ste 304
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Map

History

12 December 2008Disbarred (16 years, 6 months ago)
Disbarment 05-O-02049
1 July 2007Not eligible to practice law in CA (17 years, 11 months ago)
Ordered inactive 05-O-02049
1 November 2006Active (18 years, 7 months ago)
12 April 2006Inactive (19 years, 2 months ago)
15 September 2005Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 05-O-02049 (19 years, 9 months ago)
7 March 2000Active (25 years, 3 months ago)
19 July 1998Not eligible to practice law in CA (26 years, 11 months ago)
Ordered inactive 94-O-10223
22 April 1997Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 97-O-12211 (28 years, 2 months ago)
4 December 1996Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 94-O-10223 (28 years, 6 months ago)
2 November 1995Active (29 years, 7 months ago)
1 November 1995Inactive (29 years, 7 months ago)
1 July 1995Inactive (29 years, 11 months ago)
4 October 1994Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 93-O-15842 (30 years, 8 months ago)
27 September 1994Active (30 years, 9 months ago)
31 August 1994Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 93-O-11406 (30 years, 9 months ago)
29 July 1994Not eligible to practice law in CA (30 years, 11 months ago)
Discipline w/actual suspension 91-O-04545
15 February 1994Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 93-O-14055 (31 years, 4 months ago)
19 July 1993Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 92-O-11887 (31 years, 11 months ago)
25 May 1993Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 93-O-10390 (32 years, 1 month ago)
22 July 1992Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 91-O-04545 (32 years, 11 months ago)
21 December 1977Admitted to the State Bar of California (47 years, 6 months ago)

Discipline Summaries

December 12, 2008

CHARLES HENRY KROHN [#77073], 57, of Los Angeles was disbarred Dec. 12, 2008, and was ordered to comply with rule 9.20.

Krohn appealed a hearing judge’s recommendation that he be disbarred due to his extensive disciplinary record and most recent misconduct in a single client matter. The review panel upheld the hearing judge.

During a 16-year period since Krohn’s 1977 admission to the bar, he committed 43 ethical violations involving 12 clients. In the most recent matter, he represented a woman in her 1995 divorce. The court granted the dissolution upon Krohn’s completion of a judgment but he conceded he did not draft a proposal or submit it to opposing counsel.

Although he contended he agreed to represent the client only up to a particular hearing, he did not execute a fee agreement reflecting such an arrangement nor did he attempt to withdraw from the case. The client, however, testified Krohn agreed to appear at the hearing and to finalize her divorce and child support orders.

Over the next four years, the client had difficulty reaching Krohn, but when she spoke with him, he said he was working on her paperwork. She did not have the money to hire a new lawyer despite her frustrations.

At one point, the client’s child support increased, leading her to believe Krohn had finalized the judgment. She did not try to contact him again until 2002 when the support decreased significantly without notice. She learned at that time that no judgment was ever entered. When she contacted Krohn, he said he could not recall her or her case. The client sent him documents and a transcript from the hearing, but he never responded.

In 2003, the client paid another lawyer to write to Krohn, who did not respond. In 2006, more than 10 years after first hiring Krohn, she hired another lawyer to finalize her divorce. During part of that time, Krohn was suspended for nonpayment of bar fees, yet he discussed the divorce with his client and promised to complete her paperwork. The review department found that his failure to tell the client about his suspension constituted moral turpitude.

Krohn has an extensive record of prior misconduct, beginning with a 1994 suspension and probation for failing to perform competently or comply with a court order and abandoning clients. He was disciplined two years later and ordered to make restitution and again in 2000.

In recommending his disbarment, Judge JoAnn Remke wrote, “This is Krohn’s fourth time in the discipline process. His misconduct spreads over 16 years and involves 13 clients. He has been found culpable of violating the conditions of his probation on two separate occasions, and has failed to cooperate with the State Bar in all four matters. Krohn’s repeated encounters with attorney discipline have neither rehabilitated him nor deterred him from committing further misconduct.”

The review panel acknowledged Krohn’s physical and emotional problems but gave them little weight in mitigation because he failed to establish how they related to his misconduct. They also gave nominal weight to his pro bono activities because the extent of his participation was unclear.

August 19, 2000

CHARLES H. KROHN [#77073], 48, of Los Angeles was suspended for four years, stayed, placed on three years of probation with an 18-month actual suspension and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year and to prove his rehabilitation. He will receive credit for the period of involuntary inactive enrollment which began July 19, 1998. The order took effect Aug. 19, 2000.

Krohn appealed a recommendation by a State Bar Court hearing judge, arguing that there was insufficient evidence about his misconduct and that the suggested discipline was excessive. The review department agreed with the hearing judge’s findings about Krohn’s actions, but reduced the recommended discipline. Because he was enrolled inactive for 18 months, the inactive enrollment was terminated and Krohn was returned to active status.

The bar court found that through a series of actions, Krohn repeatedly failed to perform legal services competently for his client in a bankruptcy matter, did not cooperate with the bar’s investigation and did not comply with probation conditions imposed in an earlier discipline.

Among other things, Krohn did not file a reorganization plan or seek an extension of time to file the plan in the bankruptcy proceeding, did not appear at an unlawful detainer trial, did not appear at a creditors’ meeting and did not file a complaint to set aside the trustee’s sale of his client’s house.

Krohn did not file probation reports required by a 1996 disciplinary order, and completed 10.25 of the required 12 hours of continuing education in ethics.

The 1996 order was the result of misconduct in six client matters, including failure to perform legal services competently, communicate with clients or notify the bar of $1,839 in sanctions. He improperly withdrew from representation and he disobeyed a court order. Krohn also did not comply with probation conditions imposed in a 1994 disciplinary order for failure to perform competently in five matters or communicate with clients in six matters, improper withdrawal in two matters and disobeying court orders in one matter.

In mitigation, Krohn suffered from serious medical problems and he performed community service.

March 28, 1996

CHARLES H. KROHN [#77073], 44, of Los Angeles was suspended for three years, stayed, and placed on probation for 42 months, effective March 28, 1996. He also was ordered to comply with Rule 955.

Krohn's misconduct involved multiple acts of wrongdoing, including failure to perform services on behalf of five clients.

In one matter, Krohn was hired by a client to represent him in a civil matter. In January 1992, a default judgment of nearly $35,000 was entered when Krohn's client neglected to file a responsive pleading.

In November 1992, Krohn filed a motion to vacate the default and set aside the judgment, but the opposing attorney never received the notice and did not answer the motion.

In December 1992, the court granted Krohn's motion. However, Krohn failed to notify opposing counsel or serve him with a copy of the proposed order, as required by the California Rules of Court.

When opposing counsel learned of the order in February 1993, he filed a motion for relief and a request for monetary sanctions.

The court eventually reinstated the judgment against Krohn's client and ordered him to pay $1,839 in sanctions to the opposing party in the lawsuit.

Krohn failed to report the court-ordered sanctions to the State Bar.

In aggravation, Krohn's misconduct involved multiple acts of wrongdoing and he has a prior record of discipline. In July 1994, he received a two-year stayed suspension with 60 days actual suspension.

In mitigation, Krohn suffered from a chronic respiratory infection during the period of his misconduct. His medical problems, along with the side affects of his medication, contributed to his problems and exacerbated symptoms of his battle with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

He voluntarily agreed to be enrolled as an inactive member of the bar as a means of protecting the public and effectively treating his medical problems.