People v. George Robert Vahsholtz. 20PDJ017. April 17, 2020. The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties’ amended conditional admission of misconduct and suspended George Robert Vahsholtz (attorney registration number 07179) for one year. The suspension took effect April 17, 2020, and runs concurrent to the suspension imposed on Vahsholtz in case number 19PDJ033.
Vahsholtz was suspended from the practice of law for one year and one day in case number 19PDJ033; his suspension took effect on July 29, 2019. In summer 2019, a long-time friend and former client told Vahsholtz that she had been unable to get information about her deceased father-in-law’s estate. Respondent told her that he personally knew the lawyer on the case and would call as a friend for an update. Vahsholtz did not believe that calling for information constituted the practice of law, and he had no expectation of payment. In late October 2019, Vahsholtz called the lawyer’s office and told a paralegal that he was a lawyer representing his friend. He then asked for an accounting of the estate on his friend’s behalf. During his communications with the paralegal, Vahsholtz never disclosed that his law license was suspended. About a week later, Vahsholtz spoke with the lawyer; he related that his friend was concerned about the lack of information she had received. This time, Vahsholtz made clear that his law license was suspended and that he was calling as a favor for a friend.
Through this conduct, Vahsholtz violated Colo. RPC 3.4(c) (a lawyer shall not knowingly disobey an obligation under the rules of a tribunal except for an open refusal based on an assertion that no valid obligation exists) and Colo. RPC 5.5(a)(1) (a lawyer shall not practice law without a license, unless otherwise specifically authorized).
The case file is public per C.R.C.P. 251.31.