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In re Meurer
Citations: 338 Ark. 601; 999 S.W.2d 196; 1999 Ark. LEXIS 445Docket: 99-427
Court: Supreme Court of Arkansas; September 23, 1999; Arkansas; State Supreme Court
On February 12, 1999, the Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct ordered Robert Fuller Meurer to pay $18,000 in restitution to a former client, Tressia Russell, in monthly installments of $300. Following Meurer's failure to comply, the Committee filed a petition on April 30, 1999, to hold him in contempt. Meurer appeared in court on June 24, 1999, and pleaded guilty. He later submitted an affidavit claiming personal circumstances prevented compliance, but the Committee questioned the truthfulness of his claims, leading to the appointment of a special master, Judge Perry Whitmore, for a hearing. During the August 16, 1999 hearing, Meurer did not appear, despite informing the special master he would not. The special master's report noted that Meurer had made no payments and had failed to pay $150 in costs. It also found that his affidavit contained false statements regarding his personal circumstances and that he had undisclosed complaints against him, including a $1,000 repayment order from a bankruptcy court. The special master concluded that Meurer knowingly made false statements, demonstrating a disregard for the Committee's authority and his duty to provide truthful information. As a result of these findings, the court held Meurer in contempt for willfully failing to comply with the Committee’s order. The court reinvested authority in the Committee to recommend an appropriate sanction and suspended Meurer from practicing law in the state pending this recommendation.