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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 Thursday, March 20, 2003 10:00 A.M. The Supreme Court of
Illinois on Wednesday March 19, 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 MICHAEL ABBELL, Attorney Number 6212353 File
information: M.R. 18638, 99 CH 84
Mr. Abbell was licensed in Illinois in 1964 and in the
District of Columbia in 1970. He was
disbarred in the District of Columbia after he was found guilty by a
federal jury in Florida of conspiracy to launder money arising from
his representation of the Rodriquez-Orejuela faction of the Cali
Columbia drug cartel. He was sentenced to a prison term of
ninety-seven months, followed by two years of supervised release.
Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and disbarred him. He was
suspended on an interim basis in Illinois on April 25, 2000.
In
re DWIGHT LENORE BECK, Attorney
Number 6189475 File
Information: M.R. 18610, 02 CH 43
Mr.
Beck, who was licensed in 1985, was suspended
for two years, with the suspension stayed in its entirety pending
completion of a two-year period of probation with conditions. He was
convicted in state court of fleeing and eluding police and
possessing a controlled substance.
In
re WYVONNIA FORD BRIDGEFORTH, File
Information: M.R. 18598, 01 CH 78
Ms.
Bridgeforth, who was licensed in 1987, was suspended for one year
for misappropriating $24,500 from her law firm client trust account,
claiming that the money represented fees owed to her. In re ANTHONY RAY JOHNSON,
Attorney Number 6211234 File
Information: M.R. 18594, 01 SH 53
Mr.
Johnson, who was licensed in 1992, was suspended for three months
and until restitution is made to his former clients. He took an
unreasonable fee in an uncomplicated probate case.
In re STEPHEN ALAN KEMPH,
Attorney Number 6181942 File
Information: M.R. 18621, 02 CH 47 Mr.
Kemph, who was licensed in 1982, was suspended for three years and
until further order of Court and was ordered to refund certain money
to two former clients before he may petition for reinstatement. He
neglected three client matters, made misrepresentations to clients,
failed to refund unearned fees, did not cooperate with the
disciplinary investigation, and did not appear at his disciplinary
hearing.
In
re PAMELA D. LUCAS, Attorney Number 6220599 File
Information: M.R. 18545, 00 CH 38
Ms. Lucas, who was licensed in 1994, was suspended for three months. She represented numerous individuals in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois when she was not licensed to practice there. On two different occasions, she appeared in court and misrepresented her license status to a federal judge. She also neglected a client's bankruptcy matter.
In
re MILO WAYNE LUNDBLAD, Attorney
Number 3124702 File
Information: M.R. 18639, 02 CH 10
Mr.
Lunblad, who was licensed in 1979, was suspended for one year with
all but the first five months stayed by two years of probation with
conditions. He engaged in a conflict of interest when he received a
$170,000 personal loan from a client. He has since repaid the
client.
In
re KENNETH EDWARD MATEAS, Attorney Number 6183645 File
Information: M.R. 18636, 00 CH 81
Mr. Mateas, who was licensed in 1982, was suspended for three years and until further order of Court, with the suspension stayed after the first year by a permanent period of probation with conditions. He was convicted in state court of attempted possession of child pornography.
In re ROBERT A. RAS,
Attorney Number 2285770 File
Information: M.R. 18605, 01 CH 18
Mr.
Ras, who was licensed in 1977, was suspended for one year and until
further order of Court. He filed a pleading containing an ethnic
slur, gave false testimony during the course of the disciplinary
investigation, and wrote a threatening letter to a cleric in
order to gain an advantage in connection with a civil dispute
involving the closing of a high school at which both Mr. Ras and the
cleric had been employed. He
failed to cooperate in the disciplinary process and did not appear
at his disciplinary hearing.
In
re EUGENE A. RINKER, JR., Attorney
Number 6193871 File
Information: M.R. 18582, 02 CH 20
Mr. Rinker, who was licensed in 1986,
was disbarred for abandoning his law practice without notifying his
clients and leaving numerous client matters unresolved.
He did not cooperate in the disciplinary process and failed
to appear at his disciplinary hearing.
In
re ROBERT WILLIAM ROONEY, Jr., Attorney
Number 2374927 File
information: M.R. 18596, 02 CH 34
Mr. Rooney, who was licensed in 1969,
was censured. He was convicted of failing to timely file employer’s
state tax returns and not remitting withholding taxes which he
deducted from employee paychecks. He satisfied the tax liability,
including the payment of interest and penalties, before the
commencement of disciplinary proceedings.
In re STANLEY KIRK
STEWART, Attorney
Number 2734087 File
Information: M.R. 18620, 02 CH 109 Order
entered
Mr.
Stewart, who was licensed in 1973, was disbarred on consent. He pled
guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to conduct financial
transactions involving mail fraud and bribery. He was sentenced to a
prison term of twelve months and one day, followed by two years of
supervised release. He was suspended on an interim basis on February
24, 2003
In
re JOHN E. UTZ, Attorney
Number 2880644 File
Information: M.R. 18637, 03 DC 1002
Mr.
Utz, who was licensed in 1978, was disbarred on consent. He was
convicted in state court of wire fraud and mail fraud after he
misappropriated over $1 million in trust and partnership funds.
THE
FOLLOWING DISCIPLINARY ORDERS WERE ENTERED BY THE COURT BEFORE THE
MARCH TERM BUT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN ANY PREVIOUS INFORMATION
RELEASE:
In
re PETER J. BORZEKA, Attorney Number 6182544 File
Information: M.R. 18451, 99 CH 111 Order
entered February 24, 2003
Mr. Borzeka,
who was licensed in 1982, was suspended on an interim basis and
until further order of Court. The ARDC Hearing Board concluded that
he misappropriated $51,950 from an estate, made false
representations to the Committee on Character and Fitness regarding
an applicant for admission to the Bar, assisted that applicant in
the unauthorized practice of law, and shared legal fees with him
before the applicant was admitted to practice.
In
re NATHANIEL BYRD, Attorney Number 3125631 File
Information: M.R. 18527, 01 CH 54 Order
entered January 28, 2003
Mr. Byrd, who was licensed in 1979, was suspended for one year with
the suspension stayed after three months by a one-year period of
probation with conditions. He unlawfully possessed a controlled
substance, neglected two criminal cases, engaged in the unauthorized
practice of law during periods in which he was not registered, and
falsely stated to a judge in a criminal case that he had registered
to practice law when he had not done so.
In
re EDMUND JOSEPH FUERTGES, Attorney
Number 3122328 File
Information: M.R. 18619, 03 CH 3 Order
entered January 31, 2003 Mr. Fuertges, who was licensed in 1978, was suspended on an interim basis and until further order of Court. He pled guilty in federal court to bank fraud and was sentenced to a twelve month and one day term of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. |
