SAN FRANCISCO (Northern California Record) — New Mexico attorney David Chipman Venie faces possible disbarment by default following a recently announced California State Bar Court recommendation after he was disbarred in his home state in January 2017.
Venie, or Rio Rancho, New Mexico, did not participate in the proceedings against him in California and default was entered against him in May, according to the nine-page decision and order of involuntary inactive enrollment issued Oct. 17 by the state bar court.
Venie was disbarred by the New Mexico Supreme Court over allegations stemming from three client matters, including introducing multiple misrepresentations to a tribunal, knowingly filing a false affidavit and denying knowledge of his client's guilt during an underlying disciplinary proceeding, according to the decision and order. The New Mexico high court also found Venie filed a frivolous lawsuit on behalf of his client, unnecessarily revealed confidential communications from a client during a fee dispute, deposited third party funds into his personal account, converted third-party funds for his own use and filed a lien against a third party of a client to secure fees owed by the client.
The California state bar's recommendation is pending final action by the California Supreme Court, an appeal before the state bar's review department or expiration of time when parties can request further review within the state bar court.
Venie's recommended discipline was among the dispositions filed earlier this month by the state bar court's hearing department for October.
Venie was admitted to the bar in California on Jan. 29, 2004, according to his profile at the state bar website. No other disciplinary matters are pending against him but Venie does have prior records of discipline in California, according to the decision and order.
In October 2010, the California Supreme Court handed down a stayed one-year suspension and two years' probation, with 90 days of actual suspension, against Venie after he was found culpable of sending deceptive and misleading advertisements to county jail inmates. In July 2012, Venie received a stayed two-year suspension and two years' probation after the U.S. New Mexico District Court suspended him for failing to comply with all conditions of disciplinary probation and two counts of failing to comply with a court order.