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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 Friday, January 24, 2003 2:00 P.M. The Supreme Court of Illinois on Thursday, January 23 and Friday, January 24, 2003 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 probation 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 announcement of the orders may be reviewed at the Supreme Court website: www.state.il.us/court. 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 approximately 77,000 attorneys in Illinois. A yearly fee of $229 is imposed on Illinois lawyers and helps to fund the ARDC. There are no tax dollars used to support 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 additional information concerning these disciplinary orders contact:
James J. Grogan, Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission,
Chicago. 312-565-2600 or 1-800-826-8625 :
In re CAROL IFORD AMADIO,
Attorney Number 41637
21 West Chestnut Street, Suite 1104 Chicago, Illinois 60610-3371 File
Information: M.R. 18547, 00 CH 31
Ms. Amadio, who was licensed in 1975, was disbarred on consent after she was convicted of forgery. She affixed the signatures of judges to applications to waive filing fees in special needs adoption cases.
In re NICHOLAS P. BLACK, Attorney
Number 219088 File
Information: M.R. 18500, 02 DC 1007 Mr.
Black, who was licensed in 1978, was disbarred on consent. He pled
guilty to defrauding the United States Small Business Association
and to fabricating documents that he gave to federal investigators
in response to a grand jury subpoena.
In re GREGG WRIGHT BONELLI,
Attorney Number 6200922 File Information: M.R.
18529, 02 DC 1008
Mr. Bonelli, who was licensed
in 1989, was disbarred upon consent. He counseled a client to
commit fraud in a divorce proceeding. He also filed false
pleadings, provided false testimony, and engaged in a conflict of
interest in a case involving an oil pipeline in which he claimed
an interest.
In
re HARRY R. BUOSCIO, Attorney Number 338591 File
information: M.R. 18452, 01 CH 74
Mr. Buoscio, who was licensed
in 1965, was suspended for one year. While serving as an associate
judge, he initiated an improper conversation with another judge
regarding an overweight truck citation issued to a driver for a
company owned by a good friend of Mr. Buoscio.
That conversation resulted in the other judge making a
request to the Assistant State’s Attorney in his courtroom “to
take a look at the case.” Subsequently, the State dismissed the
case.
In re DONALD LEE CARLSON, Attorney
Number 6182567 File information: M.R.
18525, 01 CH 113
Mr. Carlson, who
was licensed to practice in 1982, was suspended for one year and
until further order of the Court. He neglected a dissolution of
marriage proceeding, failed to communicate with his client, did
not make reasonable efforts to expedite litigation, and failed to
cooperate with the disciplinary investigation.
In
re THORNTON EUGENE CHERRY, Attorney Number 433640 File
Information: M.R. 18508, 01 CH 111
Mr.
Cherry, who was licensed in 1975, was suspended for one year and
until further order of Court. He neglected an eviction case and a
child support proceeding, did not refund unearned fees in each of
those cases, made misrepresentations during the disciplinary
investigation, and practiced law while he was not registered.
In re ERIC MICHAEL GLASSON, Attorney
Number 6242983 File
information: M.R. 18467, 02 CH 33
Mr. Glasson, who was licensed
in 1997, was censured. He mismanaged $1,160 entrusted to him for a
client’s creditor.
In
re BRIAN R. HUTCHISON, Attorney Number 6206429 File
Information: M.R. 18479, 02 CH 18
Mr.
Hutchison, who was licensed in 1993, was disbarred upon consent.
He commingled and converted $192,477 in client funds, prepared
false documents relating to an estate, made misrepresentations to
clients and to a court, neglected several cases, and provided
false testimony to the ARDC.
In
re ARNIM JOHNSON, Jr., Attorney Number 03126178 File
Information: M.R. 18466, 02 CH 13
Mr. Johnson, who was licensed in 1980, was suspended for six months, with
the suspension stayed in its entirety by a two-year period of
probation with conditions. He
neglected the personal injury matters of three clients, paid one
of those clients $500 to settle all claims she might have against
him without advising the client that she should consult
independent counsel, and issued two checks to the Sheriff of Cook
County which were returned for insufficient funds.
In
re PATRICIA D. JOHNSON, Attorney Number 6225254 File
Information: M.R 18480, 01 SH 106
Ms. Johnson, who was admitted
in 1994, was suspended for three years and until further order of
Court. She misappropriated money from clients and her law firm,
and she made misrepresentations to the other lawyer in her firm
regarding those funds.
In
re PETER KOOKCHIN LEE, Attorney Number 6183727 File
Information: M.R. 18502, 02 CH 22
Mr.
Lee, who was licensed in 1982, was censured. He neglected a
client’s collection matter and failed to preserve the identity
of $630 of client’s funds designated as settlement to a
third-party claimant in the same case.
In re CHRISTOPHER S.
LENTZ, Attorney Number 6229694 File
Information: M.R. 18516, 02 CH 51
Mr. Lentz, who was licensed in 1995, was censured. While a third-year law student, he plagiarized a law review article that he submitted for publication. When he was confronted with the plagiarism by his law school dean, after he had been admitted to practice, he falsely stated that he had been assisted by a friend in drafting the article and that this friend, whom he would not identify, must have committed the plagiarism.
In re PHILLIP S. MAKIN,
Attorney Number 1737791 File
information: M.R. 18530, 01 CH 91
Mr. Makin, who was licensed in
1946, was suspended for two years and until further order of the
court. He improperly
communicated with an adverse party and a judge, failed to promptly
return an unearned fee, did not act with reasonable diligence in
representing a client, failed to keep a client reasonably informed
about the status of a case, requested that a former client enter
into an agreement purporting to limit the rights of the former
client to pursue a complaint before the ARDC; and made a statement
of material fact or law to a third person that he knew was false.
He was suspended on an interim basis on December 5, 2002.
In
re PHILIP MAKSYMONKO, Attorney Number 3127406 File
information: M.R. 18436, 00 CH 44
Mr.
Maksymonko, who was licensed in 1980, was suspended for one year.
He neglected a personal injury and child support matter on
behalf of one client, neglected a collection matter on behalf of
another client, and misappropriated the funds of a third client.
He was suspended on an interim basis on May 10, 2002.
In
re CHARLES E. MARSHALL, Attorney Number 1774972 File
information: M.R. 18447, 01 CH 4
Mr.
Marshall, who was licensed in 1963, was censured for engaging in
misconduct that included a conflict of interest and contact with a
represented party in a probate matter.
In
re John Bruno Petrulis, Attorney Number 2192373 File
Information: M.R. 18526, 00 CH 93
Mr. Petrulis, who was licensed
in 1978, was disbarred. He failed to timely comply with Supreme
Court rules following a prior suspension, neglected three client
matters, failed to keep several other clients reasonably informed
about their cases, and failed to timely refund unearned fees.
In
re EDGAR PHILIP PETTI, Attorney Number 2192764 File
Information: M.R. 18446, 00 CH 28
Mr. Petti, who was licensed in
1958, was suspended for one month for mismanaging client
settlement funds.
In
re STUART JAMES REILLY, Attorney Number 2309130 File
Information: M.R. 18524, 02 RC 1518
Mr.
Reilly was licensed in Illinois in 1970 and admitted in Arizona in
1978. Arizona suspended him for six months and placed him on
probation for two years subject to various conditions aimed at
improving his office management skills. He engaged in multiple
acts of misconduct, including neglect, making misrepresentations
to a client, and conversion. Illinois imposed reciprocal
discipline, suspended him for six months, and placed him on
probation for two years subject to the terms of his Arizona
probation.
In re
KARREAN MARIE ROLLING-HOLMES, Attorney Number 6230139 File
Information: M.R. 18465, 02 CH 17
Ms.
Rolling-Holmes, who was licensed in 1995, was suspended for one
year and until she makes certain restitution.
She affixed a client's name to the back of a settlement
check without the client's permission and misappropriated
$3,668.50 that belonged to the client and lien holders.
In
re PAUL MICHAEL SHERIDAN, JR., Attorney Number 2581728 File
Information: M.R. 18453, 01 CH 75
Mr. Sheridan, who was licensed
in 1964, was suspended for one year. While serving as a judge,
another sitting judge approached him and had an improper
conversation regarding an overweight truck citation issued to a
driver for a company owned by a good friend of the other judge.
That conversation resulted in Mr. Sheridan making a request to the
Assistant State’s Attorney in his courtroom “to take a look at
the case.” Subsequently, the State dismissed the case.
In
re ERIC SLOCUM SPARKS, Attorney Number 2682168 File
Information: M.R. 18444, 02 RC 1517
Mr. Sparks was licensed in
Illinois in 1972 and in Arizona in 1987. The Supreme Court of
Arizona suspended him for thirty days and placed him on probation
for two years for mishandling funds in a client’s trust account
and failing to communicate with his client. Illinois imposed
reciprocal discipline, suspended him for thirty days, and placed
him on probation for two years subject to the terms of his Arizona
probation.
In
re ARTHUR D. SUTTON, Attorney Number 6216926 File
Information: M.R. 18445, 01 CH 32
Mr.
Sutton, who was licensed in 1993, was suspended for ninety
days, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by a nine-month
period of probation with certain conditions. He commingled
and converted $2,575.15 in settlement funds owed to a third party
and failed to promptly pay those funds to the third party. In
re MARK ANTHONY VAJDIK, Attorney Number 6210308 File
information: M.R. 18386, 01 CH 121
Mr. Vajdik, who was licensed in 1992, was suspended for one year. He
neglected six different client matters, referred a client matter
to another attorney without client consent, and allowed an
employee to solicit legal business from a prospective personal
injury client.
In
re TIMOTHY MICHAEL WHITING, Attorney Number 6230517 File
Information: M.R. 18501, 02 CH 23
Mr. Whiting, who was licensed in 1995, was censured for sending a written solicitation of employment to the survivors of a woman who had been killed three days earlier in an auto accident.
THE
FOLLOWING DISCIPLINARY ORDERS WERE ENTERED BY THE COURT BEFORE THE
JANUARY TERM BUT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN ANY PREVIOUS INFORMATION
RELEASE.
In
re LOUIS CAPOZZOLI, Attorney Number 6195171 File
information: M.R. 18371, 00 CH 37 (Order
entered on January 2, 2003)
Mr. Capozzoli, who was licensed to practice in 1987, was suspended for six
months and until he completes the ethics course offered by the
Illinois Professional Responsibility Institute. While representing
prospective adoptive parents in an adoption proceeding, he
declined to investigate a claim of paternity raised by the child’s
biological father. He did not inform the court of the biological father’s
claim and failed to serve the biological father with notice of the
adoption proceedings. Consequently, the judgment of adoption was
voided and the child, who had resided with Mr. Capozzoli’s
clients for almost two years, was returned to her biological
father.
In
re RICHARD R. ROTHMAN, Attorney Number 6209899 File
Information: M.R. 18439, 02 CH 87 (Order
entered on January 8, 2003)
Mr. Rothman, who was licensed in 1992, was suspended on an interim basis
and until further order of Court. He continued to practice law
during the previous suspension for
attempting to collect an
unreasonable and fraudulent fee from a real estate client who had
discharged him, and for submitting a false disciplinary charge
against an Assistant State’s Attorney.
In
re FRANCIS WILLIAM GOLDEN, Attorney Number 988758 File Information: M.R. 17964, 99 CH 65 (Order
entered on January 13, 2003)
Mr. Golden, who was licensed
in 1976, was suspended by the Court for nine months on March 22,
2002. He neglected two personal injury matters and engaged in the
unauthorized practice of law in the State of Michigan. Because he
did not comply with a Supreme Court rule governing suspensions
from the practice of law for six months or more, his suspension
was continued until he complies with Supreme Court Rule 764 and
until further order of Court.
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