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Click Here 45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, February 6, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 5, 2004 State bar disbars attorney Ron Cue By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune An Ashland attorney has less than a month to wrap up a 26-year practice before he is disbarred. After a lengthy history of troubles with the Oregon State Bar Association, Ronald Cue was disbarred in December. He has agreed to cease his legal activities on March 1. The Bar alleges Cue violated ethical standards for an attorney, including misleading his clients, failing to account for legal fees and even forging the name of a judge on legal documents. Cue agreed to facts alleged by the Bar, but told representatives that he believed he suffered from an undiagnosed mental illness that resulted in his procrastination on clients’ cases. It was the Bar’s opinion that if Cue were allowed to continue practicing law, it would be "only a matter of time before he does something which seriously harms a client," according to an opinion written by the Bar trial panel. Advertisement Cue told the Mail Tribune Wednesday that he was taking medication for an undiagnosed condition that he believed to be anxiety-related. He said the mental condition may have been at the root of his earlier problems with the Bar. Cue had previously been suspended from practicing law in 1990 and again in 1998 for issues similar to those that led to his recent disbarrment, said Kateri Walsh, spokesman for the Bar. The Bar had previously admonished Cue for neglect in 1984 and 1986, Walsh added. Cue neglected to inform one client who retained his services in 1998 that he was suspended and also failed to file a court motion to erase a criminal charge from the client’s record. The client, Tucker Fife, only discovered two years later that Cue hadn’t taken action in his case. Cue led Fife to believe he would take care of the problem, according to the Bar panel. But the issue lingered for another two years, after which Cue forged a court order signed with a judge’s name. Cue intended to mail the order to Fife but stopped short of that deception, the Bar panel said. Cue discovered four years after Fife had retained his services that Fife’s conviction was not, in fact, eligible for removal from his criminal record. The Jackson County district attorney opposed Cue’s motion, and a judge denied it. Cue did not notify Fife of the outcome, Bar representatives said. The Bar panel also confirmed complaints that Cue failed to deposit client fees in his trust account and did not refund clients’ fees after they severed ties with him. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times