Click here for prior pages from the Kentucky Court Report posting attorney disciplinary matters.  The Disciplinary Actions can be found at page 12-13 of the August 2015 SCOKY minutes.

Disciplinary matters with links to the full text of the action are below, dated August 20, 2015.  The links below are to the complete decision in PDF at the Administrative Office of the Courts.

JASON P. PRICE VS. KBA
ORDER CONVERTING PRIVATE REPRIMAND TO PUBLIC REPRIMAND

On August 21, 2014, this Court issued a private reprimand with conditions. One of those conditions was that Price attend and complete an Ethics and Professionalism Enhancement Program (EPEP). In the event Price failed to meet the conditions, the order provided for conversion of the private reprimand to a public one.  Price’s enrollment in a residential treatment program is laudable and would possibly have prevented him from attending the April 17, 2015 EPEP. However, Price has offered no excuse for his failure to pay for the EPEP he attended in 2014. Because Price has not offered any reason why he failed to pay for the 2014 EPEP, despite being able to continue practicing law for 11 months following attendance, we discern no reason to deny the KBA’s motion.   Thus, we hereby convert the August 2014 private reprimand into a public reprimand.

KBA VS. RICHARD GROVE WARD
ORDER OF SUSPENSION FROM THE PRACTICE OF LAW FOR 1  YEAR TO RUN CONCURRENTLY WITH HIS OHIO SUSPENSION

KIMBERLY LYNN BUNTON VS. KBA
ORDER OF SUSPENSION FROM THE PRACTICE OF LAW FOR 1 YEAR PROBATED FOR A PERIOD OF 2 YEARS WITH CONDITIONS

Pursuant to SCR 3.480(2), the negotiated sanction rule, Movant, Kimberly Lynn Bunton’ moves this Court to impose upon her a one-year suspension, to be probated for two years, conditioned upon Movant incurring no further criminal or disciplinary charges, and further conditioned upon Movant fully complying with the terms of her conditional discharge in Commonwealth v. Bunton, Jefferson Circuit Court No. 10-CR-2767. The Kentucky Bar Association (KBA) has no objection to Movant’s request.

While Movant was employed as the director of the Metro Louisville Department of Housing and Family Services, she knowingly violated rules or regulations relating to her office in connection with public benefits received by her mother. In August 2014, Movant entered an Alford plea to two counts of first-degree official misconduct, a Class A misdemeanor. As a result of these convictions, Movant was sentenced to twelve months on each count with the sentences to run concurrently, for a total of 12 months. This sentence was conditionally discharged for two years, or until restitution in the amount of $8,885.00 is paid, whichever is longer.

KBA VS. JUSTIN ROSS MORGAN
ORDER OF SUSPENSION FROM THE PRACTICE OF LAW FOR 90 DAYS

The Respondent, Justin Ross Morgan, 1is alleged to have committed three violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct by becoming significantly in arrears on his child-support obligations. A trial commissioner heard the matter, concluded that Morgan was guilty of the charges, and recommended that Morgan be suspended from the practice of law for 90 days. This Court adopts the decision of the Trial Commissioner.

Pursuant to SCR 3.390, Morgan shall, within ten days from the entry of this Opinion and Order: (a) notify, in writing, all clients of his inability to represent them, and of the necessity and urgency of promtly retaining new counsel; (b) notify, in writing, all courts in which he has matters pending of his suspension from the practice of law; (c) provide a copy of all such letters of notification to the Office of Bar Counsel; and (d) to the extent possible, immediately cancel and cease any advertising activities in which he is engaged.

INQUIRY COMMISSION VS. JASON PAUL PRICE
ORDER OF TEMPORARY SUSPENSION

The Inquiry Commission petitions this Court to temporarily suspend Jason Paul Price,, a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 3.165(1)(b), which permits temporary suspension if there is probable cause to believe Price’s “conduct poses a substantial threat of harm to his clients or to the public.” In support of its petition, the Commission claims that Price, among other matters, was arrested for trafficking in a controlled substance.