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04/24/2009 "See News Release 028 for any Concurrences and/or Dissents." SUPREME COURT OF LOUISIANA NO. 08-B-3006 IN RE: KENISHA LASHA PARKS

ATTORNEY DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS

PER CURIAM
This disciplinary matter arises from formal charges filed by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel ("ODC") against respondent, Kenisha Lasha Parks, an attorney licensed to practice law in Louisiana.

UNDERLYING FACTS While driving on the Crescent City Connection at approximately 8:25 a.m. on September 19, 2006, respondent rear-ended a vehicle driven by Dawn Wedge. Respondent provided Ms. Wedge with a business card indicating she is a licensed attorney and containing her cell phone number and e-mail address. On the business card, respondent hand-wrote her home address and work telephone number. She also provided Ms. Wedge with the name of her automobile insurance company and the policy number, and requested that the police not be contacted regarding the accident. Because respondent is an attorney, Ms. Wedge agreed to this request. Thereafter, Ms. Wedge repeatedly attempted to contact respondent at her work and cell phone numbers. Although she left several messages, respondent never returned Ms. Wedge's calls. Ms. Wedge then attempted to initiate a claim using the insurance information respondent provided. However, Safeco Insurance Company,

respondent's purported insurer, advised Ms. Wedge that respondent did not have insurance coverage on the date the accident occurred.1 In November 2006, Ms. Wedge filed a complaint against respondent with the ODC. In a sworn statement, Ms. Wedge was able to give accurate descriptions of both respondent and the car respondent was driving at the time of the accident. Ms. Wedge subsequently made a claim for restitution of $613.18 in damages to her vehicle from the Louisiana State Bar Association's Client Assistance Fund. Despite being mailed four copies of Ms. Wedge's complaint, respondent failed to respond. On February 8, 2007, respondent was personally served with a copy of the complaint and again failed to respond. The ODC then issued a subpoena to take respondent's sworn statement on April 4, 2007. Despite being personally served with the subpoena, respondent failed to appear. On April 12, 2007, respondent finally responded to the complaint by submitting a notarized affidavit in which she attested as follows: AFFIDAVIT I hereby certify that I was not involved in a car accident with Dawn Wedge on September 19, 2006. In fact, at the time of alleged accident I was at 2700 Tulane Avenue in the Criminal District Court of Orleans Parish Section D with Judge Frank Marullo.

In subsequent responses to the ODC, respondent claimed that, in September 2006, she was working as an assistant district attorney in New Orleans and usually arrived at work at 8:00 a.m. Although she could not recall the exact time she arrived at work on the date of the accident, she indicated that she "ran a full docket [that day] and then conducted a trial that lasted until 10:00 at night." However, court records indicated that jury selection for the trial respondent was involved in that day did not begin until
Respondent's automobile insurance policy with Safeco lapsed prior to the date of the accident due to non-payment of the premium. 2
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2:55 p.m. Moreover, respondent acknowledged that the business card in Ms. Wedge's possession was hers and the handwriting on the card was hers as well. However, respondent could offer no explanation how Ms. Wedge came to be in possession of the card. On April 27, 2007, respondent provided the ODC with a sworn statement. During the sworn statement, respondent admitted that there was no reason why she could not appear for the first sworn statement, indicating that she believed she had the dates wrong and acknowledging that she failed to appear. She also indicated during the sworn statement that she was licensed to practice law in Georgia.2 However, the ODC later contacted bar officials in Georgia, who advised that respondent was neither admitted to the bar nor had she applied for admission. Respondent further informed the ODC that she had current automobile insurance with GEICO. However, GEICO later informed the ODC that respondent's policy was cancelled on March 11, 2007 for non-payment of the premium.

DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS In February 2008, the ODC filed three counts of formal charges against respondent, alleging that her conduct as set forth above violated Rules 8.1(a) (a lawyer shall not knowingly make a false statement of material fact in connection with a disciplinary matter), 8.1(c) (failure to cooperate with the ODC in its investigation), 8.4(a) (violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct), 8.4(b) (commission of a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer), and 8.4(c) (engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation) of the Rules of Professional Conduct.
In a prior interview with the ODC's investigators, respondent represented that she was licensed to practice law in Alabama. A subsequent check indicated that respondent was not licensed in Alabama. 3
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Respondent was served with the formal charges via certified mail but failed to answer. Accordingly, the factual allegations contained therein were deemed admitted and proven by clear and convincing evidence pursuant to Supreme Court Rule XIX,

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