Seares Jr. vs. Atty: Gonzales – Alzate A.C no. 9058 Nov. 14, 2012 FACTS: Seares, Jr. allees t!at Atty. Gonzales"A#zate $as !#s leal %o&nsel $!en !e ran 'or t!e (os#t#on o' )&n#%#(al )ayor o' *olores, A+ra #n t!e )ay 200 ele%t#ons- t!at a'ter !e lost +y a 50"vote ar#n to Al+ert /. G&zan, s!e le #n !#s +e!al' a 3et#t#on ' 3rotest A Ca&tela #n t!e e#onal Tr#al Co&rt 6TC7 #n an&e, A+rat!at t!e (et#t#on $as #s#sse 'or +e#n 'atally e'e%t#ve- t!at several ont!s later, s!e #ns#ste on l#n a 3et#t#on o' 3rotest #n t!e TC, +&t t!e (et#t#on $as also #s#sse on t!e ro&n t!at #t $as alreay t#e"+arre, an on t!e '&rt!er ro&n o' 'or& s!o((#n +e%a&se t!e %ert#%at#on aa#nst 'or& s!o((#n $as 'alse- t!at t!e TC e%lare !er as (ro'ess#onally nel#ent- t!at !e aa#n ran 'or )&n#%#(al )ayor o' *olores, A+ra #n t!e )ay 2010 ele%t#ons, an $on- t!at !e later learne t!at !#s (ol#t#%al o((onents reta#ne !er as t!e#r %o&nsel- t!at $#t! !# +arely t$o ont!s #n o;%e, one Carl#to T&r<&eza %!are !# $#t! a+&se o' a&t!or#ty, o((ress#on an rave #s%on&%t #n t!e San&n#an 3anlala$#an o' A+ra- t!at s!e re(resente T&r<&eza as %o&nsel- an t!at s!e #ntent#onally ae 'alse an !&rt'&l stateents #n t!e eoran& s!e (re(are #n t!at a#n#strat#ve a#n#strat#ve %ase #n orer to atta%= !#. Seares, Jr. asserts t!at Atty. Gonzales"Alzate t!ere+y v#olate Canon 15, Canon 1 an Canon 18 o' t!e Coe o' 3ro'ess#onal es(ons#+#l#ty 'or nel#ently !anl#n !#s ele%t#on (rotest, 'or (rose%&t#n !#, !er 'orer %l#ent, an 'or &tter#n 'alse an !&rt'&l alleat#ons aa#nst !#. >en%e, !e (rays t!at s!e s!o&l +e #s+arre. ?n !er %oent, Atty. Gonzales"Alzate en#es all t!e %!ares aa#nst !er $!#%! are (ro'ess#onal nel#en%e an #n%o(eten%e, an o' re(resent#n %on@#%t#n #nterests. ?SSB: !et!er or not Atty. Gonzales"Alzate $as &#lty o' (ro'ess#onal nel#en%e an #n%o(eten%e #n !er !anl#n o' Seares, Jr.Ds ele%toral (rotest #n t!e TCE !et!er or not Atty. Gonzales"Alzate v#olate t!e (ro!#+#t#on aa#nst re(resent#n %on@#%t#n #nterests $!en s!e ass#ste T&r<&eza #n !#s a#n#strat#ve %ase aa#nst Seares, Jr., !er 'orer %l#entE >B*: 1st ?ss&e: T!e %o(la#nt aa#nst Atty Atty.. Gonzales"Alzate Gonzales"Alzate #s &n'o&ne &n'o&ne an evo# evo# o' s&+stan%e. s&+stan%e.
For a#n#strat#ve l#a+#l#ty &ner Canon to atta%!, t!e nel#ent a%t o' t!e attorney s!o&l +e ross an #ne%&sa+le as to lea to a res< t!at $as !#!ly (reH&#%#al to t!e %l#entDs #nterest. A%%or#nly, t!e Co&rt !as #(ose a#n#strat#ve san%t#ons on a rossly nel#ent attorney 'or &nreasona+le 'a#l&re to le a re<&#re (lea#n, or 'or &nreasona+le 'a#l&re to le an a((eal, es(e%#ally $!en t!e 'a#l&re o%%&rre a'ter t!e attorney ove 'or several etens#ons to le t!e (lea#n an oIere several e%&ses 'or !#s non'easan%e. T!e Co&rt !as 'o&n t!e attenan%e o' #ne%&sa+le nel#en%e $!en an attorney resorts to a $ron reey, or +elately les an a((eal, or #nor#nately elays t!e l#n o' a %o(la#nt, or 'a#ls to atten s%!e&le %o&rt !ear#ns. Gross #s%on&%t on t!e (art o' an attorney #s eter#ne 'ro t!e %#r%&stan%es o' t!e %ase, t!e nat&re o' t!e a%t one an t!e ot#ve t!at #n&%e t!e attorney to %o#t t!e a%t. T!e TC %oently !el t!at 6t7!e (r#ary o+He%t#ve o' t!#s (et#t#on #s to (ray 'or t!e #ss&an%e o' a 3rel##nary 3re%a&t#on rer 6+&t7 a (rayer 'or t!e #ss&an%e o' t!e (rote%t#on o' +allot +oes, oo=s an #sts o' oters an ot!er ele%t#on (ara(!ernal#a #n t!e re%ently %on%l&e ele%t#ons #s $ell $#t!#n t!e (o$er o' t!e Co#ss#on on Ble%t#ons. e see no tra%e o' (ro'ess#onal nel#en%e or #n%o(eten%e on t!e (art o' Atty. Gonzales"Alzate #n !er !anl#n o' Seares, Jr.Ds (rotest. 2n #ss&e: Seares, Jr. net %!ares Gonzales"Alzate $#t! v#olat#n Canon 15 o' t!e Coe o' 3ro'ess#onal es(ons#+#l#ty 'or s&((osely re(resent#n %on@#%t#n #nterests $!en s!e too= on t!e a#n#strat#ve %o(la#nt t!at T&r<&eza +ro&!t aa#nst Seares, Jr. T!e %!are o' Seares, Jr. #s +ere't o' er#t. Canon 15 o' t!e Coe o' 3ro'ess#onal es(ons#+#l#ty (ro!#+#ts an attorney 'ro re(resent#n a (arty #n a %ontroversy t!at #s e#t!er #re%tly or #n#re%tly relate to t!e s&+He%t atter o' a (rev#o&s l#t#at#on #nvolv#n anot!er %l#ent. elevantly, &le 15.01, &le15.02 an &le15.0K (rov#e: &le 15.01LA la$yer, #n %on'err#n $#t! a (ros(e%t#ve %l#ent, s!all as%erta#n as soon as (ra%t#%a+le $!et!er t!e atter $o&l #nvolve a %on@#%t $#t! anot!er %l#ent or !#s o$n #nterest, an #' so, s!all 'ort!$#t! #n'or t!e (ros(e%t#ve %l#ent. &le 15.02LA la$yer s!all +e +o&n +y t!e r&le on (r#v#lee %o&n#%at#on #n res(e%t o' atters #s%lose to !# +y a (ros(e%t#ve %l#ent. &le 15.0KLA la$yer s!all not re(resent %on@#%t#n #nterests e%e(t +y $r#tten %onsent o' all %on%erne #ven a'ter a '&ll #s%los&re o' t!e 'a%ts. Atty. Gonzales"AlzateDs leal re(resentat#on o' T&r<&eza ne#t!er res<e #n !er +etrayal o' t!e el#ty an loyalty s!e o$e to Seares, Jr. as !#s 'orer attorney, nor #nv#te t!e s&s(#%#on o' &n'a#t!'&lness or o&+le eal#n $!#le s!e $as (er'or#n
!er &t#es as an attorney. e(resent#n %on@#%t#n #nterests $o&l o%%&r only $!ere t!e attorneyDs ne$ enaeent $o&l re<&#re !er to &se aa#nst a 'orer %l#ent any %onent#al #n'orat#on a#ne 'ro t!e (rev#o&s (ro'ess#onal relat#on. T!e (ro!#+#t#on # not %over a s#t&at#on $!ere t!e s&+He%t atter o' t!e (resent enaeent $as totally &nrelate to t!e (rev#o&s enaeent o' t!e attorney. To %onst#t&te t!e v#olat#on, t!e attorney s!o&l +e s!o$n to #ntent#onally &se aa#nst t!e 'orer %l#ent t!e %onent#al #n'orat#on a%<&#re +y !er &r#n t!e (rev#o&s e(loyent. &t a ere alleat#on o' (ro'ess#onal #s%on&%t $o&l not s&;%e to esta+l#s! t!e %!are, +e%a&se a%%&sat#on $as not synonyo&s $#t! &#lt. As #t t&rne o&t, t!e %!are o' re(resent#n %on@#%t#n #nterests levele aa#nst Atty. Gonzales"Alzate $as #a#nary. T!e %!are $as #e#ately &n$ort!y o' ser#o&s %ons#erat#on +e%a&se #t $as %lear 'ro t!e start t!at Atty. Gonzales"Alzate # not ta=e avantae o' !er (rev#o&s enaeent +y Seares, Jr. #n !er leal re(resentat#on o' T&r<&eza #n t!e latterDs a#n#strat#ve %!are aa#nst Seares, Jr. T!ere $as no #n#%at#on $!atsoever o' !er !av#n a#ne any %onent#al #n'orat#on &r#n !er (rev#o&s enaeent +y Seares, Jr. t!at %o&l +e &se aa#nst Seares, Jr. >er enaeent +y Seares, Jr. relate only to t!e ele%t#on (rotest #n 200, +&t T&r<&ezaDs %o(la#nt #nvolve Seares, Jr.Ds s&((osely &nla$'&l #nter'eren%e #n o&st#n T&r<&eza as t!e (res#ent o' t!e #a n a aranay o' *olores, A+ra #n 2010. T!ere #s no <&est#on t!at +ot! %!ares $ere ent#rely 'ore#n to one anot!er.
