ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 8, 1997 TAG: 9701080055
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
The Virginia State Bar has issued two public reprimands against a Roanoke County lawyer for his improper handling of lawsuits.
M. Dean Cranwell received the reprimands from the bar's Eighth District Subcommittee, which hears complaints against lawyers in the Roanoke area.
One of the reprimands stemmed from Cranwell's representation of a man who wanted to file a wrongful termination lawsuit against his employer. At the time, Cranwell thought the statute of limitations for such cases was two years, when in fact he had only one year to file suit, according to the reprimand.
The suit was filed too late and ultimately dropped. Cranwell reimbursed the man $750 - $50 more than he had charged him to take the case.
The second complaint involved a lawsuit Cranwell filed on behalf of a family that was injured in an automobile accident allegedly caused by a 12-year-old driver. The lawsuit was dismissed after Cranwell failed to respond to an insurance company's request for information regarding the identity of the juvenile driver.
Cranwell advised the family of their right to file a malpractice claim against him, the reprimand states, but gave them a form designed for lawyers, not clients. No malpractice claim was filed.
The public reprimands do not affect Cranwell's law license, although they will become part of his disciplinary record with the State Bar.
Last year the bar suspended Cranwell's license for 120 days in an unrelated case. In that case, the bar found that Cranwell failed to pursue a client's appeal of a criminal conviction, then misrepresented the status of the case to his client.
Cranwell, who practices in Roanoke County, declined to comment in detail on the bar's latest actions. "It's an unfortunate circumstance, and I hope to get it behind me and go on," he said.
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