Hawthorne, CA 90250-8316
19 November 2001 | Active (23 years, 5 months ago) |
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20 September 2001 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (23 years, 7 months ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 00-O-11601 |
8 January 2001 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 00-O-11601 (24 years, 4 months ago) |
29 September 2000 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 99-O-12053 (24 years, 7 months ago) |
5 May 1995 | Public reproval with/duties 92-O-12976 (30 years ago) |
11 May 1994 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 92-O-12976 (31 years ago) |
16 May 1990 | Public reproval with/duties 88-O-12533 (35 years ago) |
11 July 1989 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 88-O-12533 (35 years, 10 months ago) |
29 November 1978 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (46 years, 5 months ago) |
September 20, 2001 CRAIG MICHAEL LYTLE [#84430], 59, of Hermosa Beach was suspended for one year, stayed, placed on two years of probation with an actual 60-day suspension, and was ordered to take the MPRE within one year. The order took effect Sept. 20, 2001. Lytle represented a client in a medical malpractice claim on a contingency fee basis, filing a complaint in 1997. He then failed to respond to discovery requests or to numerous client phone calls, and did not appear at two case management conferences or an order to show cause hearing. As a result, the case was dismissed, but he did not inform his client.When the client finally terminated Lytle in February 1999, he did not release her file for a month. The client learned her case was dismissed 11 months later.Lytle stipulated that he failed to perform legal services competently, respond to client inquiries or keep a client informed of significant developments in her case. He also did not cooperate with the bar’s investigation.In another matter, he used his client trust account to pay personal expenses and bounced at least six checks, acts of moral turpitude.Lytle was disciplined twice previously, both public reprovals. In one matter, he failed to maintain client trust records or render an accounting and he improperly withdrew from employment. In the other case, he failed to pay court-ordered sanctions.In mitigation, he had family problems at the time, and the issuance of checks against insufficient funds was partly due to a stop-payment order placed on a check written to Lytle which he had deposited. He cooperated with the bar’s investigation. |