METAIRIE -- On Aug. 18, the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board agreed with the Office of Disciplinary Council (ODC) hearing committee's recommendation to disbar June A. Placer, an attorney who practices law in Kentwood.
Formal charges were filed by the ODC against Placer on April 14, 2014, and consisted of four counts of alleged violations of the rules of professional conduct. The violations listed included making false statements of fact to a tribunal, knowingly offering false evidence to a tribunal, falsifying evidence offered to an opposing or third party, engaging in criminal conduct, engaging in dishonest conduct, engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice and violating or attempting to violate the rules.
The filed ODC document explained that in December 2011, the office received a complaint filed against Placer by attorney Barbara Ziv, who was representing Placer’s husband, David Molaison, in divorce and child custody proceedings.
Placer and Molaison were married and had one child together. On May 11, 2011, her husband filed a petition for divorce, where Ziv represented Molaison in the domestic proceedings.
“Subsequent to the filing of the petition, but prior to the judgment of divorce, (Placer) entered into a sexual relationship with Bryan Pfleeger,” the document said. “On or about June 28, 2011, (Placer and Pfleeger) began emailing one another in connection with their relationship. On or about July 13, 2011, (Placer) responded to Molaison's discovery requests and admitted to her adulterous relationship with Mr. Pfleeger.”
Placer also provided copies of emails between her and Pfleeger, and a greeting card that was supposedly from Pfleeger, as proof of their relationship.
“Meanwhile, on June 13, 2011, (Placer) signed a sworn affidavit attesting to the truthfulness of her responses to Mr. Molaison's discovery requests,” the document said. “It was later revealed that (Placer) fabricated the greeting card without Mr. Pfleeger’s knowledge or consent.”
Furthermore, on July 14, 2011, Molaison filed a supplemental petition for divorce based on Placer’s admission to adultery and the emails and greeting card were presented to the court in support of obtaining a divorce based on adultery. Placer also testified under oath that the documents she presented were authentic.
“All documents were admitted into evidence and divorce was granted based on adultery,” the document said. “ODC has since confirmed (Placer’s) post-filing adultery with Mr. Pfleeger, and authenticated the emails between (Placer) and Mr. Pfleeger regarding same. However, the greeting card that (she) attributed to Mr. Pfleeger and that she submitted to opposing party and counsel during discovery was fabricated without Mr. Pfleeger's knowledge or consent.”
Ziv informed Pfleeger of Placer’s recent statements and Pfleeger confirmed his adulterous relationship, as well as confirming the authenticity of his emails to and from Placer; however, Pfleeger denied any involvement with the greeting card in question.
“Ms. Ziv then informed Mr. Pfleeger that, under the circumstances, she was obligated to file a disciplinary complaint against (Placer),” the document said.
In addition to the original ODC charges, after the hearing, on March 27, 2015, they filed additional charges against Placer due to her arrest for allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol and another arrest for careless operation of a motor vehicle while in the possession of seven rocks of crack cocaine.
The document explained that Placer’s jail term was deferred and Placer was placed on supervised probation.
“Although required to submit to felony monitoring, on August 7, 2014, (Placer) failed to appear for monitoring resulting in the issuance of a bench warrant for her arrest and a hold without bond,” the Aug.18 board document said. “As of this date, the respondent remains a fugitive.”
The committee found that Placer knowingly and intentionally violated the rules of professional conduct and also considered her prior disciplinary offenses, her dishonest motive, the pattern of misconduct, the multiple offenses and her failure to cooperate with the disciplinary proceeding.
Then the ODC filed a notice of no objection to the committee’s report and agreed with the committee’s recommendations. The disciplinary board also agreed.
“(Placer) knowingly and intentionally violated duties owed to the public and the legal system,” the Board said. “Her falsification of evidence caused actual harm to her divorce proceeding. Her criminal conduct had the potential to cause significant harm (driving while intoxicated).”
The board recommended that Placer be disbarred and that she be assessed with the costs and expenses of the proceedings.