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Gregory D.H. Jones (2017)
THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
SUPREME COURT
ORDER LD-2017-0004, In the Matter of Gregory D.H. Jones, Esquire On January 20, 2017, the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) filed a recommendation that Attorney Gregory D.H. Jones be disbarred. The PCC’s recommendation was based on a stipulation signed by Attorney Jones and Disciplinary Counsel, in which Attorney Jones admitted that he had violated numerous Rules of Professional Conduct and conceded that disbarment was the appropriate sanction for his misconduct. Because the PCC’s recommendation was based on the stipulation agreed to by both Attorney Jones and Disciplinary Counsel as to Attorney Jones's violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct and the appropriate discipline for the violations, the court concludes that it is unnecessary to serve Attorney Jones with the PCC’s recommendation or to provide an opportunity for further review. Accordingly, the requirements of Rule 37(16)(c) are deemed to have been waived. In the “Stipulation to Disbarment” filed with the PCC, Attorney Jones admitted that he made unauthorized withdrawals from his client trust account, misappropriated client funds, and continued to maintain a website and to advertise legal services after being suspended from the practice of law. He conceded that his conduct violated the following Rules of Professional Conduct:
1. Rule 1.15, which requires a lawyer to safeguard the property of a client, and Supreme Court Rule 50, which imposes certain requirements on lawyers regarding trust accounts;
2. Rule 5.5, which prohibits a lawyer form practicing law in violation of the regulation of the legal profession;
3. Rule 8.4(c), which makes it professional misconduct to engage in conduct involving dishonesty; and
4. Rule 8.4(a), which makes it professional misconduct to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct. The court has reviewed the “Stipulation for Disbarment” and the PCC’s recommendation that Attorney Jones be disbarred. After considering the nature, seriousness, and extent of Attorney Jones’s misconduct, the court concludes that disbarment is the appropriate sanction in this case.
THEREFORE, the court orders that Gregory D.H. Jones be disbarred from the practice of law in New Hampshire. He is hereby assessed all expenses incurred by the Professional Conduct Committee in the investigation and prosecution of this matter. Dalianis, C.J., and Hicks, Conboy, Lynn, and Bassett, JJ., concurred. DATE: February 16, 2017 ATTEST: . — Eileen Fox, Clerk
Distribution: Attorney Discipline Office, 16-035 David M. Rothstein, Esquire Gregory D.H. Jones, Esquire File