Attorney Grievance Commission of Maryland v. Kevin Mbeh Tabe, AG No. 6, September Term, 2022 ATTORNEY DISCIPLINE – SANCTIONS – 90-DAY SUSPENSION – Supreme Court of Maryland* suspended from practice of law for 90 days, with conditions, lawyer who, among other things, failed to competently represent two clients in matters in connection with federal immigration proceedings. In both matters, lawyer failed to deposit fees into trust account. In one matter, lawyer did not appear at preliminary hearing, did not effectively explain asylum process to client, submitted asylum application with several important errors, and lost client’s only form of photographic identification. In second matter, lawyer failed to appear, and caused his client to not appear, at merits hearing, and neglected to include required affidavit with motion to reopen. Such conduct violated Maryland Attorneys’ Rules of Professional Conduct (“MARPC”) 1.1 (Competence), 1.15(a) (Safekeeping Property), 8.4(d) (Conduct that is Prejudicial to Administration of Justice), and 8.4(a) (Violating MARPC); Maryland Rule 19-404 (Trust Account – Required Deposits); and Federal Immigration Rules of Professional Conduct for Practitioners, 8 C.F.R. § 1003.102(a)(1), (l), (n), (o), (q), and (r). *At the time of the filing of the Petition for Disciplinary or Remedial Action in this case, the Supreme Court of Maryland was named the Court of Appeals of Maryland. At the November 8, 2022 general election, the voters of Maryland ratified a constitutional amendment changing the name of the Court of Appeals of Maryland to the Supreme Court of Maryland. The name change took effect on December 14, 2022. Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County Case No. C-02-CV-22-000727 Argued: February 3, 2023 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF MARYLAND* AG No. 6 September Term, 2022 ______________________________________ ATTORNEY GRIEVANCE COMMISSION OF MARYLAND v. KEVIN MBEH TABE ______________________________________ Fader, C.J. Watts Hotten Booth Biran Gould Eaves, JJ. ______________________________________ Opinion by Watts, J. Pursuant to the Maryland Uniform Electronic Legal Materials ______________________________________ Act (§§ 10-1601 et seq. of the State Government Article) this document is authentic. 2023-02-27 10:03-05:00 Filed: February 27, 2023 Gregory Hilton, Clerk *At the November 8, 2022 general election, the voters of Maryland ratified a constitutional amendment changing the name of the Court of Appeals of Maryland to the Supreme Court of Maryland. The name change took effect on December 14, 2022. This attorney discipline proceeding involves a lawyer who, by his own admission, failed to competently represent two clients in connection with federal immigration proceedings, resulting in adverse outcomes for both. Both clients were asylum seekers in immigration detention when they retained Kevin Mbeh Tabe, Respondent, a member of the Bar of Maryland. Mr. Tabe did not deposit the funds paid by either client into his attorney trust account. In the course of representing the clients in separate matters, Mr. Tabe failed to appear at two hearings, including a merits hearing, which he also caused his client to miss, did not effectively explain the asylum process to a client, submitted an asylum application with several important errors, lost a client’s only form of photographic identification, and neglected …
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Source: All recent Immigration Decisions In All the U.S. Courts of Appeals