Pennsylvania Code
Title 204 - JUDICIAL SYSTEM GENERAL PROVISIONS
Part V - PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND CONDUCT
Subpart C - DISCIPLINARY BOARD OF THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA
Chapter 91 - MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
Subchapter A - SERVICE, SUBPOENAS, DEPOSITIONS AND RELATED MATTERS
IN GENERAL
Section 91.2 - Subpoenas and investigations

Universal Citation: 204 PA Code § 91.2

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024

(a) General rule. Enforcement Rule 213(a) provides that:

(1) At any stage of an investigation, both Disciplinary Counsel and a respondent-attorney shall have the right to summon witnesses before a hearing committee or special master and require production of records before the same by issuance of subpoenas.

(2) Before assignment of a matter to a hearing committee or special master, Disciplinary Counsel shall have the right to require production of records by issuance of subpoenas which shall be returnable to the office of Disciplinary Counsel in which the investigation is being conducted; and that the respondent-attorney shall have the right, upon request and payment of appropriate duplicating costs, to receive copies of the records produced.

(b) Procedure. Enforcement Rule 213(b) provides that subpoenas shall be obtained by filing with the Court Prothonotary in the district of the Supreme Court where the subpoena is to be returnable a statement calling for the issuance of the subpoena (Form DB-14) (Request for Issuance of Subpoena); that on the same day that such statement is filed with the Court Prothonotary, the party seeking the subpoena shall send by certified mail a copy of such statement to either Disciplinary Counsel or the respondent-attorney, as the case may be; that upon the filing of Form DB-14, the Court Prothonotary shall forthwith issue a subpoena (Form DB-15) (Subpoena/Subpoena Duces Tecum) and it shall be served in the regular way; and that a subpoena issued pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall not be returnable until at least ten days after the date of its issuance.

(c) Investigatory hearing committee. On application by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel or of a respondent-attorney, where no petition for discipline has yet been filed under these rules, the Executive Office shall appoint an investigatory hearing committee for the purpose of conducting an investigatory hearing under subsection (a)(1).

(d) Notice and scheduling of investigatory hearings. An investigatory hearing committee shall schedule an initial hearing on the matter to be held not later than 20 days after the committee is appointed pursuant to subsection (c). The committee shall give all persons affected at least four days written notice of each hearing held by the committee. Such a hearing may be held on less than four days notice if the chair of the committee determines that the shorter period is reasonably necessary under the circumstances.

(e) Cross reference. See § 95.2 (relating to investigation of the conversion of funds).

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