      |
|
|
          
|
NEW FILINGS,
HEARING SCHEDULES AND CLERK'S OFFICE Recent Disciplinary Decisions from Supreme Court | Recently Filed Complaints and Reports | Announcements | Schedule of Hearings | Clerk’s Office Services
ANNOUNCEMENT OF DISCIPLINARY DECISIONS Monday September 24, 2001 10:00 A.M. The Supreme Court of Illinois on Thursday September 20, 2001 and on Friday September 21, 2001 announced the filing of disciplinary orders involving a number of licensed lawyers. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law. Discipline ranged from censure to disbarment. The name of each disciplined lawyer, the address at which the lawyer last practiced, and a brief summary of the misconduct that led to the sanction, can be found in the attached material. The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), an Illinois Supreme Court agency, investigates alleged wrongdoing by Illinois attorneys, holds hearings on specific charges, and recommends discipline where warranted. The Supreme Court is, however, the only authority that can discipline lawyers for misconduct. The Supreme Court generally announces lawyer sanction orders during each formal term of Court. The Court convenes in term every January, March, May, September and November. There are more than 75,000 registered attorneys in Illinois. A yearly fee of $180 that all lawyers must pay to practice in Illinois funds ARDC. There are no tax dollars used to fund the disciplinary system. The ARDC is composed of seven members, three of whom are non-lawyers. Attorney Benedict Schwarz II is the Commission Chairman. The ARDC Administrator is Mary Robinson. For a copy of any of these disciplinary orders contact the Clerk's Office in Chicago at 312-565-2600 or 1-800-826-8625. In re VICTOR
PARRA ARMENDARIZ, Attorney Number 6197702 File information: M.R. 17578, 00 CH 21 Mr. Armendariz, who was licensed in 1988, was suspended for sixty days. He mishandled $2,320.46 in client settlement funds. In re MARK
ALAN ATKINS, Attorney Number 6186759 Mr. Atkins, who was licensed in 1984, was disbarred on consent for misappropriating $15,000 entrusted to him to pay his personal injury client’s medical provider. He had previously been suspended for converting client funds. In re JEROLD
WAYNE BARRINGER, Attorney Number 6185092 File Information: M.R. 17621, 00 SH 80 Mr. Barringer, who was licensed in 1983, was censured. On behalf of a client, he filed a motion to substitute a judge that contained statements that he knew or should have known were false. Specifically, he made erroneous statements regarding the judge's application for a loan and further alleged that the judge had conducted an ex parte interview with his client’s son when, in fact, no such interview had ever taken place. In re BRUCE
ALLEN BODE, Attorney Number 6203833 File Information: M.R. 17556, 00 CH 48 Mr. Bode, who was licensed in 1990, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court. He neglected to prepare estate plans for ten different clients and then failed to cooperate with the disciplinary investigation after his clients filed grievances against him. He must pay restitution to five of the clients before seeking reinstatement. In re JUAN
LUIS BOLDIZSAR, Attorney Number 6226632 File information: M.R. 17555, 00 CH 42 Mr. Boldizsar, who was licensed in 1995, was suspended for eighteen months and until further order of Court. He failed to manage diligently a foreclosure action on behalf of one client. In addition, he neglected a probate estate, failed to communicate with the estate executor about the whereabouts of property that had been sent to him for distribution to the legatees, and failed to distribute the property. He failed to appear at the disciplinary hearing. In re JAMES A.
BORRASSO, Attorney Number 6187933 File information: MR 17628, 00 CH 19 Mr. Borrasso, who was licensed in 1984, was disbarred. He successfully defended Sandra Lopez after she had been charged with murdering her husband. During the course of that case, the two became romantically involved. Thereafter, he helped Lopez flee the country before she was indicted for home invasion. He arranged for her to leave the United States, sent her money, sold her condominium, acted as short-term guardian for her children, and arranged for her children to leave the country to meet their mother. There is an outstanding federal warrant for Lopez, and the whereabouts of the couple is unknown. In re WILLIAM
THOMAS JOSEPH BROOKS, File Information: M.R. 17577, 01 RC 1510 Mr. Brooks was licensed in 1965 and admitted in Colorado in 1991. He had a long-standing affair with a married client, who was murdered by her husband in 1998. Mr. Brooks lied to authorities investigating the murder about the nature and length of the affair. The Colorado Supreme Court suspended him for nine months with conditions. The Illinois Supreme Court suspended him on a reciprocal basis for nine months subject to the conditions of his Colorado suspension. In re
PRISCILLA RHONDA DEE DIXON, Attorney Number 6190505 Ms. Dixon, who was licensed in 1985, was suspended for sixty days, with the suspension stayed by a period of probation with conditions for one year. While representing the seller of an automobile in a contract dispute, she telefaxed a misleading communication to her client about a hearing date when she had never filed a complaint on his behalf, and thereafter, she neglected the matter and failed to communicate with the client. In re EUGENE
MARVIN FRESE, Attorney Number 6185090 File Information: M.R. 17666, 01 RC 1517 Mr. Frese was licensed in Nebraska in 1959 and in Illinois in 1963. He was disbarred in Nebraska after he pleaded guilty to criminal charges in Maryland stemming from his illegal control of 419 fraudulent credit card accounts issued from 65 financial institutions by using 50 false names. The Illinois Supreme Court disbarred him as reciprocal discipline. In re STEVEN
NEAL FRITZSHALL, Attorney Number 3128687 File Information: M.R. 17595, 98 CH 27 Mr. Fritzshall, who was licensed to practice in 1981, was suspended for thirty days. Between 1994 and 1996, he mishandled funds he was holding on behalf of clients or their medical providers and failed to maintain complete records for a client trust account. In re DONALD
BEDELLE FULLER, Attorney Number 893889 File Information: M.R. 17616, 01 RC 1513 Mr. Fuller was licensed in Illinois in 1971 and in Minnesota in 1990. He was suspended indefinitely in Minnesota and must establish his mental fitness before he is reinstated. He improperly withdrew from the representation of a client, disclosed client confidences, and failed to disclose attorney fees in a bankruptcy proceeding. The Illinois Supreme Court suspended him until he is reinstated in Minnesota as reciprocal discipline. In re THOMAS
RICHARD GLASSON, Attorney Number 6206981 File information: M.R. 17584, 00 SH 20 Mr. Glasson, who was licensed in 1991, was suspended for 18 months and until further order of the Court. He misappropriated $8,700 from his law firm, mainly by diverting client fees. He was addicted to cocaine and alcohol, and he used the funds to buy cocaine. He also pleaded guilty to the offense of deceptive practices based upon his passing twenty-nine bad checks totaling $2,880.61, drawn on a personal account. In re RICK A.
GLEASON, Attorney Number 3128869 File information: M.R. 17603, 98 CH 26 Mr. Gleason, who was licensed in 1981, was suspended for three years with the suspension stayed after twelve months by probation. Between 1994 and 1996, he mishandled funds he was holding on behalf of clients or their medical providers and failed to maintain complete records for a client trust account. In re WILLIAM
BERNARD HALLER, Attorney Number 1106732 Mr. Haller was licensed in Missouri in 1974 and in Illinois the following year. He was disbarred in Missouri for abandoning two clients and for failing to participate in his disciplinary proceedings. The Illinois Supreme Court disbarred him as reciprocal discipline. In re ROBERT
QUENTIN HOYT, Attorney Number 1274708 Mr. Hoyt was licensed in Illinois in 1963 and in Arizona in 1979. He advised his expert in a medical malpractice case to remove certain documents from the expert’s file prior to being deposed by the opposing party. Arizona censured him and placed him on probation for a year with conditions. The Illinois Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline by censuring him and placing him on probation for one year subject to the conditions of his Arizona probation. In re LAMONT
SAMUEL IVORY, Attorney Number 6256134 File information: M.R. 17617, 00 CH 67 Mr. Ivory, who was licensed in 1998, was disbarred for taking more than $16,000 in client funds entrusted to him in 1999, delivering NSF checks to the circuit court, and lying to a circuit court judge about the checks. In addition, he neglected another client’s civil matter, failed to communicate with the client, and did not refund the unearned portion of the client’s $16,000 fee advance. Finally, he neglected a third client’s civil matter. In re MITCHELL
A. KARBIN, Attorney Number 6198567 File Information: M.R. 17590, 98 CH 96 Mr. Karbin, who was licensed in Illinois in 1988, was suspended for six months. After his client, who was selling a parcel of real estate, had fired him, he improperly attempted to collect a fee several times the sum the clients had agreed to pay by filing an attorney’s lien on the home and then contacting the buyers directly without their attorney’s consent to seek payment. He neglected a second closing and then was not candid with authorities during the course of the subsequent disciplinary investigation. In re GREGORY
RAYMOND LaPAPA, Attorney Number 6182856 File information: M.R. 17608, 99 CH 71 Mr. LaPapa, who was licensed in 1982, was suspended for one year for converting more than $12,000 from two personal injury clients in 1996. He repaid the money before disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him. In re JAMES
PARKER MARTIN, Attorney Number 3122222 Mr. Martin, who was licensed in 1978, was suspended for thirty-six months and until further order of Court. While suspended from the practice of law for neglect and failure to refund fees, he continued to practice law on behalf of six clients and appeared in court on ten different occasions. In re CAROL
ANN McCUBBIN, Attorney Number 6191703 File Information: M.R. 17641, 01 RC 1511 Ms. McCubbin was licensed in both Illinois and Missouri in 1985. Missouri suspended her for five years and until she makes restitution to several clients. She agreed to represent several persons in various cases, neglected those cases, and refused to return files and/or unearned fees. As reciprocal discipline, the Illinois Supreme Court suspended her until such time as she is reinstated to the practice of law in Missouri. In re THOMAS
RAYMOND MOLITOR, Attorney Number 6189314 File Information: M.R. 17607, 01 CH 23 Mr. Molitor, who was licensed in 1985, was censured. He agreed to handle a personal injury case for a client, but, after filing suit, he failed to effectuate service on the defendant, and misrepresented the status of the matter to his client over a period of almost two years. In re JAMES
ANTHONY PAYONK, JR., Attorney Number 6183877 File Information: M.R. 17639, 00 CH 6 Mr. Payonk, who was licensed in 1982, was suspended for thirty days. He neglected a criminal appeal for more than two years, failed to communicate with his client during that time, and did not refund the unearned portion of his retainer fee to the client in a timely fashion. The client did not lose his right to proceed with his appeal despite the delay. In re ALAN
CHARLES SCHAEFER, Attorney Number 6191830 File Information: M.R. 17579, 99 CH 37 Mr. Schaefer, who was licensed in Illinois in 1985, was suspended for three years and until further order of Court for neglecting a client matter, failing to promptly refund an unearned fee, misrepresenting to the client that the legal matter was still pending after judgment had been entered against the client, misrepresenting that he would pay the costs of an accounting firm that prepared a financial report for the client's litigation, and entering into several loans transactions with the client without adequate disclosures. He was previously disciplined for similar misconduct. In re STEVEN
WAYNE SIMMONS, Attorney Number 6217582 File Information: No. M.R. 17661, 01 RC 1515 Mr. Simmons was licensed in Illinois in 1993 and in Michigan in 1996. Michigan disbarred him after he was convicted of bank robbery and possessing a firearm at the time of the commission of a felony. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and disbarred him. In re AARON
MICHAEL SPIEZER, Attorney Number 2689596 File Information: M.R. 17667; 01 RC 1516 Mr. Spiezer was licensed in Illinois in 1977 and in New Jersey in 1990. New Jersey suspended him for three months and until further order of Court for misconduct in connection with a medical malpractice case. He engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by taking the case before he was admitted to the New Jersey bar and then neglected the matter. As reciprocal discipline, the Illinois Supreme Court suspended him for three months and until he is reinstated in New Jersey. In re ROBERT
STEVEN WILSON, Attorney Number 6187872 File information: M.R. 16165, 98 CH 69 Mr. Wilson, who was licensed in 1984, was disbarred. He borrowed $35,000 from a client, failed to repay the loan, settled the client’s civil case without consent, took the proceeds of the $65,000 settlement, lied to the client about the status of the case, and preparing false documents to conceal the unauthorized settlement. He also neglected two other clients’ civil cases. In re M.
JOANNE WOLF, Attorney Number 28800 File Information: M.R. 17602, 01 RC 1512 Ms. Wolf was licensed in Illinois in 1978 and in Wisconsin in 1980. Wisconsin disciplined her for practicing law while she was suspended for nonpayment of bar dues and for neglecting a client's divorce. In the divorce matter, she led her client to believe that the client could remarry, even though a remarriage was not yet possible under Wisconsin law, and falsified a divorce decree so that the client could get married as planned. As reciprocal discipline, the Supreme Court of Illinois suspended her for two years and until she is reinstated in Wisconsin.
|
