Opinion
Docket No. DRB 11-241
10-28-2011
Re: In the Matter of Douglas Joseph Del Tufo
JULIANNE K. DECORE CHIEF COUNSEL ISABEL FRANK DEPUTY CHIEF COUNSEL ELLEN A. BRODSKY FIRST ASSISTANT COUNSEL LILLIAN LEWIN DONA S. SEROTA-TESCHNER COLIN T. TAMS KATHRYN ANNE WINTERLE ASSISTANT COUNSEL
LOUIS PASHMAN, ESQ. CHAIR
BONNIE C. FROST, ESQ. VICE-CHAIR
EDNA Y. BAUGH, ESQ.
BRUCE W. CLARK, ESQ.
JEANNE DOREMUS
HON. REGINALD STANTON
SPENCER V. WISSINGER, III
MORRIS YAMNER, ESQ.
ROBERT C. ZMIRICH JULIANNE K. DECORE
CHIEF COUNSEL ISABEL FRANK
DEPUTY CHIEF COUNSEL ELLEN A. BRODSKY
FIRST ASSISTANT COUNSEL LILLIAN LEWIN
DONA S. SEROTA-TESCHNER
COLIN T. TAMS
KATHRYN ANNE WINTERLE
ASSISTANT COUNSEL RICHARD J. HUGHES JUSTICE COMPLEX VIA CERTIFIED MAIL , R.R.R. & REGULAR MAIL Douglas Joseph Del Tufo
343 Route 46 West
Suite 2
Mine Hill, New Jersey 07803 District Docket NO.XB-2009-0049E
LETTER OF ADMONITION Dear Mr. Del Tufo:
The Disciplinary Review Board has reviewed your conduct in the above matter and has concluded that it was improper. Following a review of the record, the Board determined to impose an admonition.
Specifically, in January 2009, Mosaad Ahamed retained you to represent him in his divorce matter. Although, sometime around April 29, 2009, you prepared a divorce complaint and had Ahamed sign the necessary documents to file it, you did not do so until approximately three months after Ahamed filed an October 6, 2009 grievance against you. In the interim, you failed to properly communicate with Ahamed and did not return many of his telephone calls. You also failed to cooperate with the District Ethics Committee's investigation of the grievance. Your conduct was improper and in violation of RPC 1.4(b) and RPC 8.1(b).
Your conduct has adversely reflected not only upon you as an attorney but also upon all members of the bar. Accordingly, the Board has directed the issuance of this admonition to you. R. l:20-15(f)(4).
In imposing only an admonition, the Board considered that no disciplinary infractions have been sustained against you since your admission to the bar in 1997.
A permanent record of this occurrence has been filed with the Clerk of the Supreme Court and the Board's office. Should you become the subject of any further discipline, it will be taken into consideration.
The Board has also directed that the costs of the disciplinary proceedings be assessed against you. An invoice of costs will be forwarded under separate cover.
Very truly yours,
/s/
Julianne K. DeCore
Chief Counsel JKD/ c: Chief Justice Stuart Rabner
Associate Justices
Louis Pashman, Chair
Disciplinary Review Board
Mark Neary, Clerk
Supreme Court of New Jersey
Gail G. Haney, Deputy Clerk
Supreme Court of New Jersey (w/ethics history)
Charles Centinaro, Director
Office of Attorney Ethics
Edward A. Sturchio, Jr., Chair
District XB Ethics Committee
Caroline Record, Secretary
District XB Ethics Committee
Mosaad Ahamed, Grievant