Roatán Island, off the coast of Honduras, as seen in 2021. Denver defense attorney Michael Martin was on the island when he was supposed to be in court. (Photo courtesy of Alisa Matthews/Unsplash)
A Denver defense attorney will serve a one-year probation of his law license for missing a client’s criminal trial while on a Caribbean cruise.
Michael Andrew Martin, who passed the Colorado bar in 2018, is the managing attorney in the Denver office of Weber Law, a Utah-based firm that calls itself “the criminal defense law ninjas.” The firm’s website says Martin is known for ”vigorously defending” his clients.
Michael Martin
Last March, Martin was hired to represent a truck driver, referred to in disciplinary documents as “Mr. B,” who faced a charge of driving under the influence in Mesa County. The trial of Mr. B was scheduled for Sept. 14, 2021, according to a stipulation of facts Martin signed last month.
In August 2021, Martin and his girlfriend booked two one-week Norwegian Cruise Line cruises from Miami to points in the Caribbean. They were on vacation from Sept. 5 to Sept. 19.
Before they left Denver on a red-eye flight, Martin asked the judge in Mr. B’s case to let him withdraw because his client wasn’t paying. The judge agreed to consider the motion to withdraw at a hearing Sept. 10 and agreed to let Martin attend that hearing virtually.
But Martin and Mr. B were no-shows. So, the judge denied the attorney’s motion.
Four days later, the trial was to begin but Martin and Mr. B were again absent. Martin was on Roatán Island off the coast of Honduras. An arrest warrant was issued for his client.
In October, Mesa County Judge Michael Grattan lll ordered Martin to appear in-person and explain himself. Martin, appearing virtually instead, apologized and said he assumed that either his motion to withdraw would be granted or the Sept. 14 trial delayed.
Martin “violated his duty to his client Mr. B to pursue his matter diligently,” according to a stipulation to discipline between Martin and the state’s Attorney Regulation Counsel. “He also violated the duties that he owed as a professional to the legal system and to his client by failing to appear in court when required and by prejudicing the administration of justice.”
On Aug. 9, Disciplinary Judge Bryon Large suspended Martin’s law license for 30 days but stayed the sentence upon completion of a one-year probation. As a result, he will only be suspended for 30 days if he commits another offense in the next year.
Martin did not respond to requests for comment sent to his personal email and law firm.
Roatán Island, off the coast of Honduras, as seen in 2021. Denver defense attorney Michael Martin was on the island when he was supposed to be in court. (Photo courtesy of Alisa Matthews/Unsplash)
A Denver defense attorney will serve a one-year probation of his law license for missing a client’s criminal trial while on a Caribbean cruise.
Michael Andrew Martin, who passed the Colorado bar in 2018, is the managing attorney in the Denver office of Weber Law, a Utah-based firm that calls itself “the criminal defense law ninjas.” The firm’s website says Martin is known for ”vigorously defending” his clients.
Michael Martin
Last March, Martin was hired to represent a truck driver, referred to in disciplinary documents as “Mr. B,” who faced a charge of driving under the influence in Mesa County. The trial of Mr. B was scheduled for Sept. 14, 2021, according to a stipulation of facts Martin signed last month.
In August 2021, Martin and his girlfriend booked two one-week Norwegian Cruise Line cruises from Miami to points in the Caribbean. They were on vacation from Sept. 5 to Sept. 19.
Before they left Denver on a red-eye flight, Martin asked the judge in Mr. B’s case to let him withdraw because his client wasn’t paying. The judge agreed to consider the motion to withdraw at a hearing Sept. 10 and agreed to let Martin attend that hearing virtually.
But Martin and Mr. B were no-shows. So, the judge denied the attorney’s motion.
Four days later, the trial was to begin but Martin and Mr. B were again absent. Martin was on Roatán Island off the coast of Honduras. An arrest warrant was issued for his client.
In October, Mesa County Judge Michael Grattan lll ordered Martin to appear in-person and explain himself. Martin, appearing virtually instead, apologized and said he assumed that either his motion to withdraw would be granted or the Sept. 14 trial delayed.
Martin “violated his duty to his client Mr. B to pursue his matter diligently,” according to a stipulation to discipline between Martin and the state’s Attorney Regulation Counsel. “He also violated the duties that he owed as a professional to the legal system and to his client by failing to appear in court when required and by prejudicing the administration of justice.”
On Aug. 9, Disciplinary Judge Bryon Large suspended Martin’s law license for 30 days but stayed the sentence upon completion of a one-year probation. As a result, he will only be suspended for 30 days if he commits another offense in the next year.
Martin did not respond to requests for comment sent to his personal email and law firm.
