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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 Tuesday, September 23, 2003 2:00 P.M. The Supreme Court of
Illinois on Friday September 19, 2003 and on Monday September 22,
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 78,000 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
KENNETH J. ALLEN, Attorney Number 6202665 File Information: M.R. 18860, 03 RC 1506 Mr. Allen was licensed in Indiana in 1981 and in Illinois in 1990. The Supreme Court of Indiana suspended him for 90 days for making misrepresentations to potential jurors in a civil case, intentionally reading opposing counsel’s confidential documents during a deposition, and issuing a misleading press release. The Illinois Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for 90 days. In re PHILLIP BOGART ALLEN,
Attorney Number 0034983 File
Information: M.R. 18890, 02 CH 56
Mr.
Allen, who was licensed in 1974, was suspended for one year, with
the suspension stayed after the first five months by a one-year
probation. He pled guilty in Kentucky to flagrant non-support and
bail jumping.
In
re THOMAS CHARLES BARATTA, JR., File
information: M.R. 18698, 01 CH 61 Mr. Baratta, who was licensed in 1970, was suspended for three months. He signed a blank personal financial statement that was later completed with false information and used in support of his application for a bank loan. In re MAURICE JOSEPH BARRY, Jr., Attorney Number 6189509 301 South Center Street Bloomington, Illinois 61701-5101 File
information: M.R. 18782, 00 SH 54
Mr. Barry, who was licensed in 1985, was suspended for nine months. He filed
false affidavits in two medical malpractice cases.
In re RODNEY LAMAR BISHOP, Attorney
Number 214841 File
Information: M.R. 18929, 03 RC 1507
Mr. Bishop was licensed in Illinois in 1972 and in Utah in 1977. The Third Judicial District Court of Salt Lake County, Utah, suspended him from the practice of law for one year for neglecting a client’s tax matter and engaging in the unauthorized practice of law after he was suspended for failing to pay his bar licensing dues or failing to comply with continuing legal education requirements. The Illinois Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for one year.
In re ARTHUR HERMAN BOELTER, JR., File Information: M.R. 18851, 03 RC 1505 Mr. Boelter was licensed in Illinois in 1973 and in Washington in 1979. He was reprimanded by the Washington State Bar Disciplinary Board for failing to adequately supervise a lawyer under his authority, failing to communicate with a client and failing to act with reasonable diligence in representing a client. The Illinois Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline and reprimanded him. In re KEVIN MICHAEL
BRILL, Attorney Number 6182552 File
information: M.R. 18717, 00 CH 34
Mr. Brill, who was licensed in 1982, was suspended for eighteen months and
until he repays $14,333.34 to a bankruptcy client from whom he
misappropriated the money. The
funds were the client’s share of the proceeds of the sale of her
home. He was suspended on an interim basis on May 17, 2002.
In
re DALE ALAN CARLSON, Attorney Number 6193542 File Information: M.R. 18812, 01 CH 84 Mr. Carlson, who was licensed in 1986, was suspended for 90 days, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by a one-year period of probation with conditions. He neglected a worker's compensation claim and a dental malpractice claim for one client, a personal injury case for a second client, and failed to expedite litigation in a small claim case.
In
re CLARENCE JAMES CROOKS, Jr., Attorney Number 547050 File
Number: M.R. 18748, 01 CH 99
Mr. Crooks, who was licensed in 1962, was suspended for twelve months, with the suspension stayed after four months by probation subject to conditions. He mismanaged $10,000 in escrow funds that he was holding on behalf of a client from the sale of church property.
In
re THOMAS JOHN FREETHY, Attorney Number 6190680 File
information: M.R. 18830, 99 CH 95
Mr. Freethy, who was licensed in 1985, was suspended for nine months. He converted more than $5,000 from a decedent’s estate and approximately $3,700 from a personal injury client.
In
re JEROME PAUL GENOVA, Attorney Number 6210856 File
information: M.R. 18894, 02 CH 35
Mr. Genova, who was licensed in 1992, was
disbarred on consent. He was convicted in federal court for acts
of racketeering, mail fraud and
theft while he served as the mayor of Calumet City. He was
sentenced to sixty months imprisonment, followed by three years
supervised release, and was ordered to pay a fine of $12,500. 914 Woodward Avenue Deerfield, Illinois 60015-2867 File
Information: M.R. 18896, 02 CH 52
Mr. Gershon, who
was licensed in 1984, was suspended for 60-days with the
suspension stayed in its entirety by a one-year period of
probation with conditions. He neglected a medical malpractice
claim and a dental malpractice claim, and then misrepresented the
status of the claims to his clients.
In
re JEFFREY L. GOLDBERG, Attorney
Number 984043 File
Information: M.R. 18791, 03 DC 1004
Mr. Goldberg, who was licensed in 1976, was disbarred on consent. He pled guilty in federal court to two counts of mail fraud. A certified financial planner and a certified public accountant, Mr. Goldberg defrauded over 100 investors out of approximately eight million dollars.
In
re STEVEN R. HANSEN, Attorney
Number 3123376 File
Information: M.R. 18825, 03 DC 1006
Mr. Hansen, who was licensed to practice in 1979, was disbarred on
consent. He failed to comply with an arbitrator’s ruling,
neglected five different client matters, and misappropriated a
total of over $87,000 from various clients.
In re THOMAS EARL HILDEBRAND,
JR., File
Information: M.R. 18802, 00 SH 74
Mr. Hildebrand,
who was licensed in 1976, was suspended for 10 months, with the
last six months stayed by probation. In two separate criminal
matters, he engaged in a conflict of interest when he represented
the defendants while contemporaneously representing state
witnesses in the criminal matters.
In addition, in one of the proceedings, he falsely
represented to a court that he no longer represented one of the
witnesses in question.
In
re VAL JEAN F. HILLMAN, Attorney Number 6203077 File
information: M.R. 18872, 02 CH 46
Mr. Hillman, who was licensed in 1990, was
disbarred on consent. He was convicted in federal court on three
counts of wire fraud. He engaged in a scheme to defraud various
banks and mortgage companies in order to obtain money and property
by providing false and fraudulent information to the lenders
related to seven different properties. He assisted in the scheme
by acting as a purchaser and investor in the fraudulent
transactions. Mr. Hillman was sentenced to twenty-seven months
imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release, and was
ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $276,392.45, to be
paid jointly and severally with his co-defendants.
In
re ROBERT BERYL HURWITZ, Attorney
Number 1291955 File Information: M.R. 18843, 03 DC 1007
Mr. Hurwitz, who was licensed in 1974, was disbarred on consent.
He pled guilty to one count of federal mail fraud. He
entered into a scheme in which a Social Security Administration
administrative law judge would refer legal business to him. Mr.
Hurwitz obtained dozens of Social Security Administration
claimants as clients and collected approximately $250,000 in
attorney’s fees from them.
In
re ALAN MICHAEL KATZ, Attorney Number 1412086 File
Information: M.R. 18897, 02 CH 03
Mr. Katz, who was licensed in 1964, was suspended for two years. He misappropriated a total of $19,077.07 from two clients and gave each client checks that were returned by his bank due to insufficient funds.
In
re CRAIG JUSTIN KATZ, Attorney Number 6180929 File
Information: M.R. 18750, 00 CH 63
Mr. Katz, who was licensed to practice in 1981, was suspended for two
years, with the second year stayed by probation subject to certain
conditions, including payment of $16,080 restitution.
He failed to safeguard client funds in four different
matters, did not promptly deliver funds to the clients in three of
those matters, and converted client funds.
In
re RONALD WARREN KATZ, Attorney Number 3128054 File
Information: M.R. 18826, 02 CH 78
Mr. Katz, who was licensed in 1980, was disbarred on consent. He misappropriated client funds, made an unauthorized loan to a client, failed to abide by a client’s wishes regarding a settlement, and signed a client’s name to a document without authority.
In re DONALD P.
LASICA, Attorney Number
1585002 File
Information M.R. 18813, 02 CH 38
Mr. Lasica, who was licensed
in 1975, was suspended for two years and until he makes certain
restitution. He misappropriated $66,000 from a decedent’s estate
where he represented the executor, neglected a second estate
matter, and made false statements to impede the lawyer
disciplinary investigation.
In re ROBERT CRAIG
LOVELESS, Attorney Number 1696157 File
Information: M.R. 18838, 00 CH 65
Mr. Loveless, who
was licensed in 1975, was suspended for two years. While acting as
an agent for a real estate title fund, he misappropriated at least
$80,000 and then repeatedly voided and reissued customer checks
drawn on his escrow account in order to conceal his conversions.
In
re JOHN ROBERT MEYER, Attorney Number 1895982 File Information: M.R. 17932, 95 CH 948 Mr. Meyer, who was licensed in 1971, was disbarred. In representing a client in the purchase of four parcels of real property with a combined value of over $3,400,000, he titled all four parcels in the name of a corporation that he, Mr. Meyer, controlled. He also converted over $230,000 in funds that he had obtained on the clients’ behalf. Finally, he had a conflict of interest, and engaged in conduct involving fraud, when he sued the former clients after the lawyer disciplinary action was brought against him, and in another lawsuit that he pursued. In re
JEFFREY MICHAEL McCARTHY, Attorney Number 6208791 File
Information: M.R. 18769, 02 CH 97
Mr. McCarthy, who was licensed in 1992, was suspended for 60 days, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by a one-year period of probation with conditions. He neglected two client matters and failed to return an unearned fee to one of those clients. He has since provided a full refund of $1,450 to that client In re
JOSEPH LEO MILLER, Attorney Number 1915177 File
information: M.R. 18788, 02 CH 80 Mr. Miller, who was licensed in 1975, was
suspended for two years and until further order of Court. He
neglected three civil matters and four criminal matters, resulting
in several rules to show cause being issued against him. He also
failed to cooperate in one of
the lawyer disciplinary investigations.
In
re ROSARIO AUGUST PICONE, Jr., Attorney Number 6208499 File
Information M.R. 18889, 02 CH 98
Mr. Picone, who
was licensed in 1992, was suspended for 30 days for having a
sexual relationship with a client while representing her in a
contested divorce.
In
re LOUIS MILTON PISSIOS, Attorney Number 6197820 File
information: M.R. 18882, 02 CH 42
Mr. Pissios, who was licensed
in 1988, was suspended for two years, with the second year of the
suspension stayed by probation with conditions. He mismanaged
$39,912.89 of funds held in escrow for a client, entered into a
loan transaction with the client without making full disclosure,
and made false statements to obstruct the disciplinary
investigation.
In
re KEVIN F. PLACHTA, Attorney Number 6202361 File
information: M.R. 18784, 02 CH 85
Mr. Plachta, who was licensed
in 1989, was suspended for six months. He neglected three client
matters, made misrepresentations to the clients about the status
of their matters, and created a false court document to cause a
client to believe the matter was pending.
In
re THOMAS H. PLOSS, Attorney Number 2219492 File
Information M. R. 18814, 03 DC 1005
Mr. Ploss, who was licensed in 1966, was disbarred on consent. While serving as a Social Security Administration administrative law judge, he unlawfully steered cases to a lawyer. He was later found guilty on five felony counts of unlawful disclosure of information and three misdemeanor counts of knowing conversion of things of value, and was sentenced to a one-year term of imprisonment. In
re MICHAEL JOHN POULAKIDAS, Attorney
Number 6244756 File
Information: M. R. 18900, 03 CH 1
Mr. Poulakidas,
who was licensed in 1998, was censured. He neglected a client’s
real estate matter and then, in order to conceal his neglect,
misrepresented the status of that matter and provided the client
with a fictitious court order.
In
re DERRICK B. REESE, Attorney Number 6244296 File
Information: M.R. 18844, 01 CH 51
Mr. Reese, who was admitted in
1998, was suspended for two years and until further order of
Court. He neglected a client matter, failed to refund an unearned
fee, and appeared intoxicated before a tribunal. He was suspended
on an interim basis on October 9, 2002.
In
re SHELDON S. ROSENFELD, Attorney Number 2388456 File
Information: M.R. 18855, 02 CH 57
Mr. Rosenfeld, who
was licensed to practice law in 1967, was suspended for 90 days.
He agreed to assist a client in recovering certain property from a
tax sale by purchasing it in his own name and then transferring
title back to the client. After the client paid him to buy back
the property, Mr. Rosenfeld refused to transfer title back to his
client.
In re STEPHEN CHARLES
SADIN, Attorney Number 6191167 File
Information: M. R. 18783, 01 CH 95
Mr. Sadin, who was licensed in 1985, was disbarred on consent. He misappropriated $48,305.69 from senior citizen bondholders he represented in a securities fraud case. He also converted $84,181.75 in escrow funds and issued checks that were drawn on closed bank accounts. In re
WILLIAM SONNY SHAPIRO, Attorney Number 2568411 File
information: M.R. 18804, 02 CH 92 Mr. Shapiro, who was licensed in 1975, was
suspended for three years, with the last eighteen months stayed by
probation subject to conditions. He mismanaged approximately
$58,000 in funds belonging to numerous clients and neglected
various collection lawsuits, resulting in the entry of several
dismissals for want of prosecution.
In
re FREDERICK MICHAEL SMITH, Attorney
Number 6203411 File
information: M.R. 18793, 02 CH 53
Mr. Smith, who was licensed in 1990, was disbarred on
consent. He misappropriated funds from numerous clients and
improperly solicited legal business. In
re WILLIAM J. STOGSDILL, JR., Attorney Number 2741547 File
Information: M.R. 18931, 02 CH 99
Mr. Stogsdill, licensed in
1974, was suspended for 30 days for having a sexual relationship
with a client while representing her in a contested divorce.
In
re JUDSON LEE STRAIN, Attorney Number 6191322 File
Information: M.R. 18829, 02 CH 50
Mr. Strain, who was licensed
in 1985, was suspended from the practice of law for six months and
until further order of Court. He misappropriated $1,126.21 in
client funds designated for a lien holder, neglected a personal
injury matter and practiced law when not registered.
In
re WARREN GLEN SYLVESTER, Attorney Number 6226207 File
Information M.R. 18792, 02 CH 100
Mr. Sylvester, licensed to practice law 1994, was suspended for 30 days for having a sexual relationship with a client while representing her in a contested divorce. In
re HOWARD JOEL TATAR, Attorney
Number 2798654 File
Information: M. R. 18781, 01 CH 3
Mr. Tatar, who was licensed in
1972, was disbarred on consent.
He was found guilty in Wisconsin of child enticement, a
felony, for soliciting a minor in an Internet chat room. He was
sentenced to ten years of imprisonment.
Confinement was, however, stayed pending a successful
period of five years probation and another five years extended
supervision, subject to various obligations, including a one-year
work release program, 200 hours of community service, registration
as a sex offender, no unsupervised contact with minors, and
computer use limited for work purposes only. In
re STEPHEN BLAINE TIMMER, Attorney
Number 6199848 File Information: M.R. 18778, 02 CH 72
Mr. Timmer, who was licensed in 1988, was disbarred on consent. He
misappropriated approximately $204,000 in funds due to a
corporate client and made misrepresentations to that client about
a business transaction. He also
neglected numerous immigration matters, misrepresented the status
of those matters to his clients, and attempted to conceal his
neglect by falsifying documents.
In
re ALLEN R. TITLEBAUM, Attorney Number 2837722 File Information: M.R. 18862, 02 CH 94
Mr. Titlebaum, who was licensed in 1976, was suspended for two years and
until he makes certain restitution. He misappropriated
funds he received on behalf of his clients in debt collection
matters. He also issued checks to a client and to a bank that were
later dishonored, failed to supervise a nonlawyer employee, and
made misrepresentations to one of his clients.
In
re ROBERT MICHAEL VOLTL, Attorney Number 6203481 File
Information: M.R. 18934, 03 DC 1009
Mr.
Voltl, who was licensed in 1990, was disbarred on consent. He was
found guilty in federal court of mail fraud and wire fraud. He
participated in a scheme to defraud and obtain mortgage loans from
certain lenders totaling approximately $10 million by means of
false and fraudulent pretenses. He was sentenced to 60 months in
prison, ordered to pay restitution of $3,862,843, and fined
$12,500.
In re CARL MAURICE WALSH, Attorney
Number 2928884 File
Information: M.R. 18753, 02 CH 44
Mr. Walsh, who was
licensed in 1965, was suspended for 30 days for his neglect of a
criminal appeal.
In
re HARVEY DWAYNE WRIGHT, Attorney Number 6212280 File
information: M.R. 18833, 02 CH 91
Mr. Wright, who was licensed in 1993, was suspended for six months for allowing a suspended attorney to continue to practice law by using Mr. Wright’s law office.
THE
FOLLOWING DISCIPLINARY ORDERS WERE ENTERED BY THE COURT BEFORE THE
SEPTEMBER TERM BUT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN ANY PREVIOUS INFORMATION
RELEASE:
In re PHILIP CHARLES HORN, Attorney
Number 6201317 File information: M.R. 17809, 01 CH 33 Order
entered July 14, 2003
Mr. Horn was licensed in 1989. In 2002, he was suspended for four months, ordered to complete ethics school, and was required to take twelve hours of continuing legal education in real estate and estate planning. He was disciplined because he formed a partnership with a non-lawyer. Mr. Horn complied with each of the requirements of the Court’s disciplinary order, except for the continuing legal education requirement. As a result, he was suspended until he completes the twelve-hour continuing legal education requirement and until further order of Court.
In re MARK JAMES KANELOS, Attorney
Number 6189459 File information: M.R. 17158, 98 CH 131 Order
entered July 22, 2003
Mr. Kanelos was licensed in 1985. In 2001, he was suspended for three years, with the last eighteen months stayed by probation for eighteen months, subject to conditions. He was disciplined after converting $43,000 in estate funds. He served his suspension and began probation, but he never complied with Illinois Supreme Court Rule 764, a rule that places specific obligations on disciplined lawyers to perform certain acts. As a result, the probation was stayed, and Mr. Kanelos was suspended until he complies with the rule and until further order of Court. |