      |
|
|
          
|
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, January 17, 2006 10:00 A.M. LAWYER DISCIPLINARY ORDERS INFORMATION RELEASE The Supreme Court of Illinois on Friday
January 13, 2006 and on Tuesday January 17, 2006 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. In re JAMES
EDWARD AUGUSTYN, Attorney Number 6189353 File information: M.R. 20583, 05 CH 12 Mr. Augustyn, who was licensed in 1985, was suspended for sixty days, with the suspension stayed entirely by a one-year period of probation with conditions. He mismanaged $2,522.66 that he was holding in escrow in connection with two unrelated real estate matters. In re DONALD
RAY BREWER, Attorney Number 292516 File information: M.R. 20543, 04 CH 55 Mr. Brewer, who was licensed in 1974, was censured. He neglected a client’s wrongful death action, failed to provide competent representation, failed to reasonably inform the client of the status of the case and did not respond to the client’s requests for information. In re JASON KEITH
BRUNO, Attorney Number 6281086 File information: M.R. 20519, 05 SH 02 Mr. Bruno, who was licensed in 2003, was disbarred and ordered to make certain restitution. He misappropriated $600,000 from an insurance company before he was licensed to practice law and he failed to disclose that conduct on his bar admission application. In re RICHARD
STEVEN CONNORS, Attorney Number 3122620 File information: M.R. 20523, 03 CH 93 Mr. Connors, who was licensed in 1978, was suspended for one year and until he makes certain restitution. He endorsed a $25,000 settlement check on behalf of a hospital lienholder without legal authority and without notifying the hospital that he had done so. He also paid himself a fee out of the hospital’s proceeds. He was suspended on an interim basis for unrelated misconduct on December 28, 2004. In re JUSTIN T.
FITZSIMMONS, Attorney Number 6255931 File Information: M.R. 20581, 05 CH 21 Mr. Fitzsimmons, who was licensed in 1998, was censured. While employed as an assistant county state’s attorney he directed another assistant state’s attorney to dismiss a traffic ticket. He made this request, without authority, as a favor to a friend. In re SUSAN
FREEDMAN GRAMMER, Attorney Number 6182724 File information: M.R. 20521, 04 SH 119 Ms. Grammer, who was licensed in 1982, was censured. She filed a final report of the estate representative in a probate case in which she falsely represented that copies of the estate inventory and accounting had been mailed or delivered to the surviving spouse of the decedent. In re WHITNEY
DOVE HARDY, Attorney Number 1128507 File information: M.R. 20607, 03 SH 104 Mr. Hardy, who was licensed in 1961, was censured for threatening to release confidential information about a client in an effort to collect his fee from that client. In re CHARLES
JAMES HOLLEY, Attorney Number 6207112 File Information: M.R. 20560, 04 CH 37 Mr. Holley, who was licensed in 1991, was suspended for sixty days. He deposited escrow funds belonging to clients or third parties into a business account, instead of a client trust account, and subsequently converted a portion of those funds. The suspension is effective on February 3, 2006. In re JOHN DYSART
LANDRY, Attorney Number 1569163 File information: M.R. 20605, 04 CH 104 Mr. Landry, who was licensed in 1975, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after one year by a two-year period of probation with conditions. He had a sexual relationship with a client during the course of his representation of her in post-decree divorce matters, including child support and visitation. He was previously suspended for similar misconduct. The suspension is effective on February 3, 2006. In re ERIK
ALEXANDER MARTIN, Attorney Number 6209430 File Information: M.R. 20524, 03 CH 108 Mr. Martin, who was licensed to practice in 1992, was suspended for nine months and until he completes a course in professional ethics. He was convicted of criminal contempt of court for knowingly presenting a falsely backdated promissory note to representatives of the United States Bankruptcy Trustee’s Office in an effort to explain payments that he made to a company that had referred bankruptcy clients to him. The suspension is effective on February 3, 2006. In re TIMOTHY
ROBERT McAVOY, Attorney Number 1808486 File information: M.R. 20463, 03 CH 8 Mr. McAvoy, who was licensed in 1975, was suspended for two and one-half years and until he makes certain restitution. The suspension is effective immediately. He failed to respond to client requests for information, did not refund unearned fees, and practiced law during a previous two-year suspension for professional misconduct. In PATRICK JOHN
McGREAL, Attorney Number 6203158 File information: M.R. 20604, 04 CH 111 Mr. McGreal, who was licensed in 1990, was disbarred for neglecting seven different immigration matters, resulting in the deportation of one of his immigration clients. He also failed to communicate with clients and did not appear at the disciplinary proceeding. In re TERRENCE R.
McGLYNN, Attorney Number 6192135 File information: M.R. 20538, 03 CH 119 Mr. McGlynn, who was licensed in 1986, was disbarred. He misappropriated approximately $55,800 in funds entrusted to him by twelve different clients. He also made false statements to a court regarding the distribution of certain of those funds. In re DANIEL
FRANCIS MURRAY, Attorney Number 1999540 File information: M.R. 20625, 04 CH 95 Mr. Murray, who was licensed in 1974, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after ninety days pending completion of a two-year period of probation with conditions. He failed to pay a lienholder from settlement funds received on behalf of a client, neglected two civil claims, and was not diligent in handling a criminal matter. The suspension is effective on February 3, 2006. In re JOHN J.
O’MALLEY, Attorney Number 6225761 File information: M.R. 20582, 05 CH 18 Mr. O’Malley, who was licensed in 1994, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by a two-year period of probation subject to conditions. After a traffic accident, he received four traffic citations, including one for driving under the influence of drugs or intoxicating compounds, and was the subject of a three-count information charging him with unlawful possession of cannabis. Before his trial, he tested positive for cocaine on three occasions. He was eventually found guilty of speeding, failure to carry or display a driver’s license, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and one count of resisting a peace officer. In re THOMAS
CHARLES RICH, Attorney Number 6186229 File information: M.R. 20590, 05 SH 39 Mr. Rich, who was licensed in 1983, was censured for filing a pleading in a workers’ compensation case that falsely represented the location of the accident in which his client was injured. In re HENRY
JOSEPH ROMANSKI, Attorney Number 2371839 File Information M.R. 20589, 03 CH 90 Mr. Romanski, who was licensed in 1973, was suspended for three years. During the course of a civil dispute, he communicated directly with his condominium association, despite knowing that it was represented by counsel. He also attempted to have a special assessment debt imposed against him by the association extinguished by his inclusion of endorsement restrictions on his monthly assessment checks. During litigation brought by the association, he made false statements to the court in connection with his attempt to disqualify the presiding judge. The suspension is effective on February 3, 2006. In re LAWRENCE
THEODORE RUDER, File information: M.R. 20527, 04 CH 106 Mr. Ruder, who was licensed in 1980, was censured and ordered to complete successfully the Illinois Institute of Professional Responsibility course within one year of the order of discipline. He failed to keep his clients informed regarding the status of their case, was not candid with the clients regarding the status of their case, and delayed informing them that the case had been dismissed. In re KEITH
ELLIOT YARD, Attorney Number 6202096 File information: M.R. 20544, 04 SH 53 Mr. Yard, who was licensed in 1989, was suspended for six months, with the suspension entirely stayed by a one-year period of probation subject to conditions. He agreed to represent four members of a family, two adults and their two minor daughters, who had been involved in a car accident. He settled the adults’ cases, but neglected to open minors’ estates for the daughters. The Following Disciplinary Orders Were Entered By The Court Before The January 2006 Term But Were Not Included In Any Previous Information Release In re DON
CARRILLO, Attorney Number 3122592 File information: M.R. 20517, 02 CH 45 (Order entered on December 14, 2005) Mr. Carrillo, who was licensed in 1978, was disbarred upon consent. He took control of the assets of an elderly, medically vulnerable woman, eventually obtaining a large portion of those assets by charging her fees for work he did not actually perform. He also arranged for another client to buy the woman’s home on terms that were unfavorable to her, and caused her to lend that other client $12,000. He was suspended on an interim basis on March 29, 2005. In re STUART
KNIGHT HOLCOMB III, Attorney Number 6237317 File information: M.R. 19443, 03 CH 75 (Order entered on January 5, 2006) Mr. Holcomb, who was licensed in 1996, was suspended on October 12, 2004, for two years and until further order of the Court with the suspension stayed after one year by a one-year period of probation. He misappropriated $5,250 from his former law firm, neglected two divorce cases, and made misrepresentations to clients to conceal his neglect. Because he did not comply with the terms of his probation, he was suspended for the remaining one year period of his suspension and until he complies with Supreme Court Rule 764 and until further order of the Court. In re SAM V.
MENEGAS, Attorney Number 6196467 File information: M.R. 20493, 03 CH 106 (Order entered on December 13, 2005) Mr. Menegas, who was licensed in 1987, was suspended on an interim basis and until further order of the Court. A hearing panel earlier concluded that he misappropriated $399,115 in connection with a real estate transaction and recommended his disbarment. |