Senatorial candidate suspended in 2000
Ledger-Dispatch Wednesday, December 31, 2003
By Sean Rabé srabe at ledger-dispatch.com
A recent search of local attorneys on the California State Bar Web site by the Ledger Dispatch brought back some intriguing results.
In 2000, Allan Dollison, an attorney serving in the Amador County Public Defender's Office and a candidate for California's 1st Senatorial District, was the subject of official sanctions by the California Bar for acts of "moral turpitude."
According to the bar's official publication, the CalBar Journal, the one-year suspension facing Dollison was stayed. Dollison was then suspended for 60 days and placed on two-years probation. The bar association's order took effect Aug. 26, 2000. While on suspension, attorneys are not allowed to practice law in the state.
According to the publication, the action by the bar was the result of Dollison stipulating to 16 counts of misconduct in four consolidated cases: Three counts each of failing to perform legal services competently or respond to client inquiries and improperly withdrawing from representation, and two counts each of failing to return client files, refund unearned fees and cooperate with the bar's investigation.
"As part of one case Dollison was handling, he agreed to file a motion to set aside a default that had been entered against his client," the publication reports. "After not responding to his client's inquiries, Dollison told her he had filed a motion that was denied by the court. He provided a copy of the motion, a notice of ruling which stated an attorney had appeared on behalf of the other party."
"In fact, Dollison never filed a motion, there was no hearing, he fabricated the notice of ruling and forged signatures on documents he sent to the client. His misrepresentations were acts of moral turpitude. He never refunded his fee. He vacated his office and did not notify clients or the courts, he failed to appear at hearings and failed to follow court orders. Two cases were dismissed as a result of failure to prosecute. One client's wages were garnished to pay a default judgment, and other clients were forced to hire new counsel to complete their bankruptcy petition."
Dollison was admitted to the bar in 1995 and was hired by the firm of John Barker and Associates approximately two years ago. Barker and Associates is the firm Amador County has contracted with to provide public defense on behalf of those in the court system who cannot afford a privately retained attorney. Because the firm is simply contracted by the county, the county has little control over who the firm employs.
"As far as we are concerned he has been doing the job he was hired to do," said Amador County General Services Agency Director Trevor Mottishaw, who handles the contract for the county. He added that the Barker firm has been retained under contract since 1995.
Dollison would not comment on the suspension and other actions by the bar. He instead referred all questions to the vice-president of his firm, Donnie Maxwell.
"Anything that happened with Allan happened a long time ago," Maxwell said via a telephone interview. "When we were considering employing Allan we interviewed him and he was very up front about the problems he had. He was previously employed by the State Attorney General's Office, who had nothing but praise for him."
Maxwell said that the firm looked beyond Dollison's past when considering employing him. "We gave him a chance; we knew we were going out on a limb by hiring him."
"Criminal law is not the same type of law where the same type of things happen."
Additionally, Maxwell said that Dollison has done a superior job in representing clients in Amador County. "Our concern is what kind of job he has done for the county," Maxwell said. "We have gotten nothing but praise from the courts and the county in regards to Allan's representation. We are a private corporation - if he weren't doing a good job he wouldn't be here."
There are over 190,000 attorney's registered with the California State Bar. In 2000, a total of 9,667 complaints were filed with the bar. Of those, 2,889 were advanced to actual investigations with 316 criminal complaints being filed against the offending attorneys. 47 attorneys were disbarred.
A random search of approximately 30 other local attorneys on the bar's Web site, located at www.calbar.ca.gov, showed no bar actions other than Dollison's.
More on Dollison:
State Bar Association Allan Lee Dollison
Like Gallegos, he did not go to an accredited Law School - Western State Univ was not an accredited Law School at the time Dollison attended. It has recently become accredited.
Like Stoen and Schwartz, this guy likes to run for office:
Senatorial candidate suspended in 2000
Smart Voter - Philosophy
Smart Voter, March 2, 2004 Election - Our Environment
He also ran for the California Assembly in 1994.
Discussion at watchpaul:
Tim Stoen, Jeffrey "yougofree.com" Schwartz, and now this...
What're we talkin' about here? Moral Turpitude
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