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This reciprocal discipline case arose from discipline imposed on Davis Bauer by the Arizona Supreme Court’s Attorney Discipline Probable Cause Committee, which issued an order of admonition with probationary conditions. The order was issued on June 18, 2024.
Bauer’s discipline was based on his decision to send demand letters on his client’s behalf to a court-appointed advisor’s lawyer, the Department of Child Safety, the opposing counsel in a family law case, a therapeutic interventionist and a court-appointed psychologist without sufficiently researching the validity of the allegations in the letters, including unsubstantiated allegations of terrorism and other spurious claims, according to the opinion.
In the letters, Bauer requested that the recipients change their opinions or recommendations to the family court presiding over his client’s case; in exchange, Bauer stated that he and his client would not proceed with a lawsuit against the recipients, according to the opinion.
Through this conduct, Bauer engaged in conduct constituting grounds for reciprocal discipline, which calls for imposition of the same discipline as that imposed in Arizona.
The presiding disciplinary judge approved the parties’ stipulation and publicly censured Bauer, with conditions. The public censure took effect on Sept. 12.