Respondent David Lee Judah filed a Petition for Voluntary Discipline after the State Bar of Georgia filed ten Formal Complaints against Respondent and sought his disbarment. Pursuant to the State Bar’s petition and Respondent’s consent, this Court suspended Respondent from the practice of law pending the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings against him. In the Matter of David Lee Judah, 267 Ga. 110 477 SE2d 314 1996. After the special master appointed by this Court rejected Respondent’s petition for voluntary discipline, he amended the petition to propose a three-year suspension as the appropriate discipline and to address several concerns raised by the special master. Thereafter, the special master conducted a hearing at which Respondent stipulated that every allegation of every grievance was proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and offered evidence in mitigation. The special master issued a recommendation that Respondent be suspended from the practice of law for three years and that his reinstatement be contingent upon certain conditions being met. Respondent urges this Court to adopt the report of the special master and to issue an order incorporating his recommendations. The State Bar of Georgia has not filed any exceptions to the special master’s report.
The formal complaints which Respondent agreed were proven beyond a reasonable doubt alleged violations of Standards 4 engaging in professional conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or wilful misrepresentation; 22 withdrawing from employment without taking reasonable steps to avoid foreseeable prejudice to the rights of the client; 23 failure to refund an unearned fee; 44 wilful abandonment or wilful disregard of a legal matter entrusted to a lawyer; 45 knowingly engaging in conduct contrary to a disciplinary rule; 61 failing to promptly notify a client of receipt of client funds and failure to promptly deliver those funds; 63 failure to maintain complete records of all funds, securities, and other properties of a client in lawyer’s possession and failure to promptly render appropriate accounts to client regarding them; and 65 commingling client funds with that of the attorney and withdrawing trust money for personal use of Bar Rule 4-102.
