Opinion
No. 04PDJ084.
January 7, 2005.
Attorney Regulation.
The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties' Conditional Admission of Misconduct and disbarred Respondent Felix D. Garcia (Registration #13736) from the practice of law, effective February 7, 2005. Respondent was also ordered to pay the costs incurred in conjunction with this proceeding. In the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Respondent pled guilty to a felony criminal charge involving conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Under C.R.C.P. 251.5(b), any act or omission that violates the criminal laws of the United States shall constitute grounds for discipline. As a result of his conviction, Respondent violated Colo. RPC 8.4(b) (commission of a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects). According to the ABA Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions and controlling Colorado Supreme Court precedent, disbarment is generally appropriate when a lawyer engages in serious criminal conduct including the sale, distribution, or importation of controlled substances.