Addenda to The Matter of
A Professional Conduct Complaint
Against Paula J. Werme, Esquire

This file contains links from the main page about this complaint. The text here covers the text of laws and various footnotes that do not directly refer to this matter.


Rule 1.2(d)

(d) A lawyer shall not counsel a client to engage, or assist a client, in conduct that the lawyer knows is criminal or fraudulent. A lawyer may discuss the legal consequences of any proposed course of conduct with a client and may counsel or assist a client to make a good faith effort to determine the validity, scope, meaning or application of the law.


Rule 8.4

It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to:

(a) violate or attempt to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct, knowingly assist or induce another to do so, or do so through the acts of another;

(b) commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects;

(c) engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation;

(d) state or imply an ability to influence improperly a government agency or official; or

(e) knowingly assist a judge or judicial officer in conduct that is a violation of applicable rules of judicial conduct or other law.


Supreme Court Rule 38 consists of the entire code of Judicial Conduct.


Text of RSA 170-G:8-a, I:

The case records of the department consist of all official records, regardless of the media upon which they are retained, created by the department of health and human services in connection with a report received pursuant to RSA 169-C:29, or cases brought under RSA 169-B, 169-C, 169-D, or 463, or services provided to the child or family without a court order pursuant to RSA 170-G:4, including intake and assessment reports, service or case plans, case logs, termination reports and a list of persons or entities providing reports to the department or services to the child or family. Such records do not include:

(a) Records created as part of an action brought pursuant to RSA 170-B or 170-C.

(b) Records submitted to or maintained by the courts, or records created by third parties, such as psychologists, physicians, and police officers, even if such records are prepared or furnished at the request of the department. Requests for access to court records and records created by third parties may be made directly to the court or to the third party who created the record. Nothing in this section shall restrict or limit access to records filed pursuant to RSA 169-C:12-b.

(c) Reports contained in the central registry of abuse and neglect reports maintained pursuant to RSA 169-C:35.

(d) The name of a person who makes a report of suspected abuse or neglect of a child pursuant to RSA 169-C:29, or any information which would identify the reporter.


Contact Paula Werme, Esq. or return to Law Practice home page.

Last updated 2000 January 2.