Local attorney has license suspended for fourth time

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - A local attorney has had his license temporarily suspended by the Supreme Court of Iowa for the fourth time since 1996.

Bryan J. Humphrey of Fort Madison was suspended on Oct. 18 by the state's highest court after he failed to respond to two specific requests from an auditor with the state Client Security Commission for 'trust account books and records to facilitate completion of an audit of his trust account'.

According to a filing from the Supreme Court, Humphrey failed to respond to the requests and was issued a notice on Aug. 22 that his license would be suspended unless he cured the delinquency or filed in the office of clerk of the Supreme Court, a request for hearing to show why his license should not be suspended.

The order stipulates that Humphrey's license to practice law is suspended until the commission certifies that he has fully complied with the requests.

As of this morning, the state had not released his license. The court also indicated that it may become necessary to appoint a trustee to protect the interests of any pending Humphrey clients.

The suspension follows a similar March 2012 action where documents claim Humphrey failed to put an agreement in writing with a client in an insurance settlement case. Those documents also said he failed to respond to repeated inquiries from the client and at least two inquiries from the Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Discipline Board after the clients filed a complaint.

He was reinstated in September of that year.

In December of 1994, Humphrey was reprimanded by the Iowa State Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics and Conduct for failure to respond to at least three requests from the committee following a complaint. The committee recommended a 30-day suspension, however the Supreme Court bumped the suspension to no less than 60 days. in February of 1995.

In July 1996, Humphrey was suspended again by the state Supreme Court, but this time for three years after another complaint was filed in November of 1995 involving Humphrey's documented failures to resolve a real estate title problem. The suspension affidavit also said he failed to properly represent an inmate on an appeal of a denial of post conviction relief and committed and "numerous acts of unprofessional and unethical conduct in district court cases he was handling".

His license was reinstated on Dec. 14, 2000 after he complete 90 hours of legal education including six devoted to legal ethics.

Attempts to reach Humphrey by phone Friday were unsuccessful.

attorney, Bryan Humphrey, Iowa Supreme Court, Pen City Current, suspended, suspensions

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