In Re: Edwin Montañez Melecio

Summary

The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico immediately and indefinitely suspended attorney Edwin Montañez Melecio from the practice of law and the notary profession for repeated and sustained noncompliance with continuing legal education requirements, the Notarial Law and its Regulation, Canon 9 of the Code of Professional Ethics, and Rule 9(j) of the Rules of the Supreme Court. The respondent ignored communications from the PEJC, failed to appear at an informal hearing, filed notarial indexes and annual statistical reports late, left his notary bond uncovered from 2011 to 2015, disregarded ODIN requests and court orders, and failed for roughly twenty years to update his address in the Unified Registry of Attorneys. The court acknowledged his claimed financial hardship but held that strict compliance with professional regulations is indispensable. It ordered him to notify clients, refund unearned fees, report pending cases, and certify compliance within thirty days.