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Diane Marie Ward Turk (WSBA No. 16456, admitted 1986), of Seattle, has been suspended for six months by order of the Supreme Court effective February 12, 2002, following a hearing. The discipline is based upon her telephone harassment of a bank employee in 2000.
On October 7, 2000, Ms. M, a bank employee, received a voicemail message from Ms. Turk about bank statements. The voice mail stated: "I want you to please let [J] know that I’d like to receive those statements by the end of the week at the latest. If I don’t I will make a trip out there with a gun to shoot either you or [J] right between the eyes and I mean it. I’ll blow your head off. I want my statements. Goodbye." The hearing officer found that Ms. Turk made the statement with the intent to harass, intimidate, torment or embarrass Ms. M. The police found a gun in Ms. Turk’s residence. Ms. M obtained a restraining order against Ms. Turk and the bank hired guards to protect the two employees. On February 12, 2001, Ms. Turk pled guilty and was convicted on one count of telephone harassment under RCW 9.61.230(3)(b), a class-C felony.
Ms. Turk’s conduct violated RPC 8.4(b), prohibiting lawyers from committing criminal acts that reflect adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects; and RLD 1.1(a), prohibiting lawyers from committing acts reflecting a disregard for the rule of law.
Anne I. Seidel represented the Bar Association. Ms. Turk represented herself. The hearing officer was Douglas S. Dunham.
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