People v. Muscato.

No. 24PDJ047. Opinion Approving Stipulation to Discipline. 7/30/2024.

November 1, 2024

The Presiding Disciplinary Judge issued an opinion and approved the parties’ stipulation to discipline, publicly censuring Kristin Marie Muscato (attorney registration number 47850). The public censure took effect on July 30, 2024.

While representing two clients at the time she engaged in misconduct underlying a separate disciplinary suspension, Muscato failed to act with reasonable diligence, failed to adequately communicate with her clients about the status of the matters, and failed to obey court orders. In one of those matters, she also failed to communicate the basis or rate of her fee in writing. Muscato’s misconduct in the two client representations was similar to, and contemporaneous in time with, misconduct in another disciplinary case and was largely driven by the same personal circumstances that mitigated her misconduct in that matter.

Through this conduct, Muscato violated Colo. RPC 1.3 (a lawyer must act with reasonable diligence); Colo. RPC 1.4(a)(3) (a lawyer must keep the client reasonably informed about the status of the matter); Colo. RPC 1.5(b) (a lawyer must communicate the basis or rate of fee in writing); and Colo. RPC 3.4(c) (a lawyer must not knowingly disobey a court order).