NEW ORLEANS – Metairie attorney Quiana Marie Hunt faces probation and Bastrop attorney Duncan M. Jones has been indefinitely suspended following recent Louisiana Supreme Court orders.
In a 10-page attorney disciplinary proceeding issued Nov. 12, the court handed down a fully deferred year-and-a-day suspension against Hunt and placed her on two years of supervised conditional probation. Hunt's probation will begin once Hunt and the office of disciplinary counsel execute a formal probation plan, according to the disciplinary proceeding.
The disciplinary proceeding followed a Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board recommendation issued in September that Hunt be suspended over allegations that she mishandled her client trust account.
Hunt was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on Oct. 30, 2014, according to her profile at the Louisiana State Bar Association's website. Hunt had no prior discipline before the state bar, according to the disciplinary proceeding.
Allegations against Hunt stemmed from an insufficient funds notice the office of disciplinary counsel received on Hunt's client trust account in February 2017. Following an investigation, formal charges were filed about a year later, according to the disciplinary proceeding.
In her brief filed in the matter, Hunt admitted that she acted negligently and that she subsequently covered the shortfall in the client trust account with her own funds, according to the disciplinary proceeding. Hunt also reported that she was suffering "severe medical complications" at the time of her alleged misconduct.
Hunter was alleged to have violated processional conduct rules regarding safekeeping property of clients or third persons, failure to cooperate with an office of disciplinary counsel investigation and other misconduct.
In a separate order issued Nov. 5, the Louisiana Supreme Court placed Jones on interim suspension until further court order "for threat of harm" following an office of disciplinary counsel petition for the suspension.
The suspension order was effective immediately, and the court also approved appointment of a trustee to protect the interest of Jones' clients.
The order provided no details about why the office of disciplinary counsel asked for Jones' suspension.
Jones was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on April 15, 2013, according to his profile at the state bar website. No prior discipline was listed on his state bar profile or in a search of Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board's online database.