Matter of Konopka

The Court heard argument on this attorney-disciplinary proceeding in October 1989, following the Disciplinary Review Board’s (DRB) recommendation that respondent be disbarred for knowingly misappropriating clients’ trust funds, as required by this Court’s decision in In re Wilson, 81 N.J. 451, 409 A.2d 1153 (1979). Before us, the Office of Attorney Ethics (OAE) argued that disbarment was the only appropriate discipline in view of respondent’s knowing misappropriation of clients’ funds.

Based on its own careful and comprehensive review of the proceedings before the District Ethics Committee…