James Dimmett Purple, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a Public Censure on Thursday, from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Mr. Purple failed to diligently represent or adequately communicate with a client who had retained him in a quiet title action. Mr. Purple filed the quiet title action without naming essential parties and failed to amend the petition at the request of his client unless additional fees and costs were paid to him. Mr. Purple also filed pleadings that named parties in the style of the case when such parties were never included in the petition. Mr. Purple failed to take corrective action with the court after such defect was made known to him and while the case remained pending.
By these acts, James Dimmett Purple has violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1 (competence), 1.2 (scope of representation), 1.3 (diligence), 1.4 (communication), and 3.3 (candor toward tribunal), and is hereby Publicly Censured for these violations.
A Public Censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorney’s ability to practice law.