People v. Coakley.

No. 22PDJ058. 10/10/2022. Stipulation to Discipline.

November 18, 2022

The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties’ stipulation to discipline and publicly censured Collin Michael Coakley (attorney registration number 46497). The public censure was effective on October 10, 2022.

In September 2021, Coakley pleaded to a deferred judgment for the unauthorized use of a telecommunications device as an act of domestic violence, a class 3 misdemeanor. Coakley was sentenced to two years of probation and conditions related to domestic violence. He has completed the required conditions and is compliant with the terms of his probation.

The deferred judgment is premised on Coakley’s interference with his wife’s 911 call in March 2021. Coakley’s wife called 911 following an altercation between her and Coakley. Coakley took the telephone from his wife and disconnected the call. A 911 operator returned the call, and Coakley returned the telephone to his wife, who told the operator that she had accidentally dialed 911. But soon after, Coakley’s wife again called 911 and reported that Coakley had physically assaulted her. Law enforcement responded and arrested Coakley on charges of felony strangulation. Following Coakley’s arrest, however, his wife declined to submit to a medical evaluation and did not sign a release allowing law enforcement to review her medical records. Coakley’s wife allowed law enforcement to conduct alternative light imaging of her neck, but the imaging did not reveal any marks.

Through this conduct, Coakley violated Colo. RPC 8.4(b) (it is professional misconduct for a lawyer to commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other respects).