Former V.I. Attorney General and current senior legal counsel at the V.I. Port Authority, Vincent Frazer. Photo Credit: V.I. CONSORTIUM
The V.I. Supreme Court has publicly reprimanded attorney Vincent Frazer, the former V.I. Attorney General and currently senior counsel at the V.I. Port Authority, after Mr. Frazer violated several rules that attorneys must abide by when practicing in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The high court said the complainant alleged Mr. Frazer represented the seller in the sale of a business which the complainant intended to purchase. At one point in the sale, a dispute arose as to whether the complainant had forfeited the good faith deposit in escrow. Mr. Frazer then unilaterally disbursed the funds to his client and deducted his attorney fees.
Mr. Frazer and the Office of Disciplinary Counsel entered into an agreement to consent to the discipline of a public reprimand, the return of the disputed funds to escrow, and the completion of six additional hours of Continuing legal education (CLE) credits. CLE consists of professional education for attorneys that takes place after their initial admission to the bar.
Failure to comply with the terms of the Consent to Discipline will result in a six-month suspension of Mr. Frazer, the high court said. This agreement was accepted by the Board on Professional Responsibility.
According to the high court, Mr. Frazer admitted to violating Rule 211.1.15(e), Rule 211.1.15-1(a)(2), Rule 211.1.15(a)(4), Rule 211.1.15(a)(6), Rule 211.1.15(a)(10), Rule 211.1.15(a), Rule 211.8.1(b), and Rule 211.8.4(a) of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands.
Therefore, in accordance with Rule 207.14 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel publicly disseminate all information relating to this matter to:
- The Disciplinary enforcement agency in any jurisdiction in which the respondent is admitted;
- The chief judicial officers of all courts of this Territory;
- The chief judicial officers of all federal courts located in this Territory, The United
- States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court;
- Any national data bank maintained for the purposes of reporting disciplinary action
- relating to lawyers; and
- The news media.
The public reprimand sanction was imposed beginning today.
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