Lawyer Reprimanded for Suing Sister over Disciplinary Complaints
A lawyer who sued his sister for defamation after she filed three disciplinary complaints against him has received a reprimand from the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Disciplinary officials had recommended a three-month suspension and another nine-month deferred suspension for Metairie lawyer Roy Raspanti, the Seattle Times reports.
The Louisiana Supreme Court said the state prohibits lawsuits against those who file complaints, even if they are considered malicious. But the court said in its March 17 opinion (PDF posted by the Legal Profession Blog) that several factors make the light penalty appropriate.
Raspanti had testified he represented his sister, Janine Raspanti, at the urging of his parents, and she filed three complaints because she did not want to pay his fee. He had sued in an attempt to put an end to that complaints that were found to have been baseless, the court noted.
Raspanti believed he had a right to sue because his sister had repeated the allegations in appeals to the Louisiana Supreme Court. He also had no disciplinary record in 20 years of practice, according to an account of the case on the Legal Profession Blog.
