Capital Punishment has learned that mayoral appointee and Acting City Attorney Stephen Kling was de-certified to practice law over two years ago! CP has confirmed that Kling does not appear in The MD Client Protection Fund database because he was de-certified for noncompliance with pro-bono requirements (Maryland Rules of Procedure 16-903) on 9-15-06 through which the Court of Appeals mandates that every attorney must report on their pro-bono activities each year or risk decertification. This is not discipline, but a decertified attorney is in effect disbarred and is not supposed to be practicing law. According to the Pro Bono Office, attorneys receive repeated notifications and follow-up phone calls if the forms are not received. See the database at courts and the letter of the law at: pro bono
As I have reported, Kling has been a donor at Moyer's fund-raisers, although we remain unclear why the lame duck is raising money.
For the record, I was a plaintiff in a lawsuit and Mr. Kling represented the defendants. This was a few years ago, and eventually the defendants agreed to settle with me for everything that I had originally asked for when litigation became a last resort because Kling and his clients refused to even discuss a settlement. Kling was nervous, disorganized and not terribly impressive. I do not like people who cannot look me in the eye--and that would include him. My lawyer was frustrated in his dealings with Kling who was often unresponsive and late with filing required documents.
One has to wonder why a lawyer in private practice at what should be the height of his presumably high-earning career would take this job with a highly unpopular mayor with one year left in office. The research I did with the Maryland Court system case search about Mr. Kling shows that he has litigated mainly for boating clients such as yacht brokers and generally with judgments only in the low-thousands of dollars, some for even under a thousand. He can't seem to fill out a simple form required by the court that every lawyer in MD is supposed to do. How could he not know this--especially for two years? Eventually, if Kling and the mayor wish for him to stay on, he will have to move from "acting" to the real thing and he will have to get re-certified. Even so, when the next mayor comes along in a year, his job will again be up.
He is listed as a member of the Anne Arundel County bar, but his address appears as 703 Giddings Ave., #U-6 Annapolis, MD. Could he have failed to inform his own bar association that he is now city attorney for the county seat and with a different address? See: aabar (Some of the legal records online at MD C0urt web-site show his address at city offices on Gorman Street.)
The City Charter Article V, section4 states that, "The office of the mayor shall include the general counsel for the city who shall be known as the city attorney. The city attorney shall be appointed on the basis of his/her knowledge of municipal law and administration, shall be a member in good standing of the Bar of Maryland, shall have been actively engaged in the practice of law in the state of Maryland for at least five (5) years, and shall not maintain a private practice except to the extent authorized by the city council. (Added by Res. CA-8-98 § 1 (part))" There are a number of red flags raised by that including Kling's knowledge of municipal law and administration and whether he is a member in good standing of the Bar of Maryland, which I could not confirm online. And is he still maintaining private practice?
Kling was found guilty in September of this year of operating a motor vehicle with an operator or occupant under the age of 16 not restrained by a seatbelt or child’s safety seat in August. If you are interested, he drives a 1999 Ford. Fancy that. A ten-year old Ford. Have you driven a Ford---lately?
The previous and much-younger city attorneys, Shaem Spencer and Paul Goetzke both left their positions to become judges. Yes. Kling does appear to be different and he may give new meaning to the term "acting" city attorney, but must the show go on?
6 Comments:
Typical....the unqualified appointing more of the unqualified.
Yes and tsk, tsk, tsk....again--more reasons why we need a city manager style of government. Let's see if the city council pays attention and takes any action....or lets the mayor run everything...I never claimed that Kling was unqualified, although his qualifications are not very clear. What is clear is that the state does not permit him to practice law now.
Well he probably should have more practice if he is going to be acting for the city. Are you sure he is not acting for the Colonial Players?
I mean the city does have a myraid of lawsuits pending and I am not sure the one where they police broke into the wrong apartment and terrorized the wrong occupants has come into the system.
But maybe she will pull a Bush with that and leave the headache for her successor.
Hey, can we throw shoes at Ellen in the Council Meetings? What does the City Charter say about that?
I do not recommend throwing shoes, although the disrespect she usually throws at we the people might call for such a thing. That was pretty good how Bush dodged those-eh? She will leave a number of headaches for her successor--which may be a reason she wants Kling in office...of course, based on my experience, if I were ever in a legal proceeding, I would really want Kling to represent my opponents.
Congrats:
You scored a big one there.
With all the lawsuits against the City, we need to minimally have a City Attorney who knows the legal requirements to be an attorney.
Bob McWilliams
Thanks Bob....Just doin' my job......'cept aint nobody payin' me......
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