S. Ct. Civ. No. 2015-0054

Upon filing by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel of a certified copy of an order issued by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals disbarring a member of the Virgin Islands Bar based upon her plea of guilty to a serious federal crime in a proceeding before the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the attorney has failed to respond to an order of this Court to show cause why reciprocal discipline should not be imposed in the Virgin Islands for this misconduct. Pursuant to this Court's exclusive jurisdiction to regulate the legal profession and attorney discipline system in the Virgin Islands, as provided in 4 V.I.C. § 32(e) and the Virgin Islands Rules for Attorney Disciplinary Enforcement, the identical discipline of disbarment is warranted in this case. In addition to the attorney's failure to respond to this Court's show cause order after proper notice, the record reflects that she entered a guilty plea in the California federal criminal proceedings and consented to disbarment in the District of Columbia courts. Under these circumstances it will be presumed that the other jurisdiction's sanction was appropriate. Accordingly, the attorney is disbarred from the practice of law in the Virgin Islands, effective immediately.