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Law360 (July 17, 2020, 4:24 PM EDT) -- The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has ordered an indefinite interim suspension for an attorney who did not appear at a virtual hearing after telling the board he was suffering from health problems associated with COVID-19.
In an order on Wednesday, the board suspended Zoran Mitrovski for failing to appear at a July 9 hearing, saying Mitrovski contacted the board ahead of the hearing to say his poor health impacted his ability to attend the hearing.
According to the board, Mitrovski also told the board he was self-isolating and required the help of a caretaker. The board said that in response, it supplied Mitrovski with the information he would need to attend via telephone, instead of a video call.
The order does not indicate that the board gave Mitrovski the option to reschedule the hearing.
Mitrovski, who was admitted to the Michigan bar in 2012, operates The Law Offices of Zoran Mitrovski in Leonard, Michigan. According to the state bar, he does business and contract law, as well as criminal defense, medical malpractice defense and immigration law.
Michigan court rules require attorneys to attend hearings unless excused by the panel. If a respondent fails to appear due to physical or mental incapacity, the board is given the discretion under the rules to suspend the attorney "until further order of the panel or board."
The Attorney Discipline Board in May issued an updated order in light of the COVID-19 pandemic that ordered hearing panels to consider "reasonable requests for accommodation" in order to "protect the health of the parties, counsel, witnesses, complainants and the community."
The order also, however, requires panels to balance these concerns with the directive from the Michigan Supreme Court to provide essential functions and make an effort to "provide timely justice in all matters."
Mitrovski could not be reached for comment Friday.
The board did not respond Friday to a request for comment.
Counsel information for both parties was not available.
The case is Zoran Mitrovski, case number 20-28-GA, before the State of Michigan Attorney Discipline Board.
--Editing by Janice Carter Brown.
For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.
