      |
|
|
          
|
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, September 20, 2002 3:00 P.M. The Supreme Court of Illinois on Thursday September 19, 2002 and Friday September 20, 2002 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. 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 CHRISTIAN JAY BARIL, Attorney Number 6242477 File
Information: M.R. 18162, 00 SH 14
Mr. Baril, who was licensed in
1997, was suspended for two years. He converted funds owed to another
attorney, represented a client when that representation was adverse to
his duties to another client, communicated directly with a party
represented by an attorney, and knowingly made false statement of
material fact to a tribunal. Finally, he was visiting incarcerated
clients at the Dwight Correctional Center when prison guards were
searching cars in the prison parking lot. A narcotics-sniffing dog
found three-tenths of a gram of marijuana in his automobile.
He eventually pled guilty to possession of less than 2.5 grams
of marijuana and was sentenced to supervision.
In
re STEVEN JACOB BARKIN, Attorney Number 112720 File
Information: M.R. 18242, 02 RC 1509
Mr. Barkin
was licensed in Illinois in 1977 and in California in 1980. He was
disciplined in California for commingling and converting funds
belonging to his clients' medical providers. Illinois imposed
reciprocal discipline and suspended him for three years, with the
suspension stayed subject to probation for five years with conditions,
and until he is reinstated in California.
In
re RICHARD LEE BRAUER, Attorney Number 283592 File
Information: M.R. 18293, 01 CH 85
Mr. Brauer, who was
licensed in 1969, was disbarred for neglecting client matters, failing
to respond to clients' requests for information, misappropriating
client funds, continuing to practice law while not registered, and
failing to participate in the disciplinary proceedings.
In
re EDMUND CRAIG, Attorney Number 534234 File
information: M.R. 18142, 01 CH 36
Mr.
Craig, who was licensed in 1976, was suspended for eighteen months and
until further order of Court. He neglected a workers’ compensation
case and a wage claim matter and practiced law while not registered.
He failed to cooperate in the disciplinary proceeding and did
not appear at his own disciplinary hearing. In
re JOHN MICHAEL DAVIES III, Attorney Number 585866 File
information: M.R. 18141, 01 CH 60
Mr. Davies, who was licensed in 1970, was disbarred. He
owned and operated a real estate and mortgage business. While engaged
in that occupation, he collected and misappropriated real estate
escrow funds from two separate individuals. He also failed to
cooperate in the disciplinary proceeding.
In
re TIMOTHY LAWRENCE DONAHO, JR. File
Information: M.R. 18294, 01 SH 82
Mr. Donaho, who was
licensed in 1990, was suspended for six months and until he completes the professionalism seminar of the Illinois Professional
Responsibility Institute. He neglected a client’s case,
failed to communicate with the client, did not return fees paid in
advance to the client, settled a potential claim against him by the
client without advising her that independent representation would be
appropriate, and made false representations to Missouri lawyer
disciplinary authorities.
In
re DEREK GERARD EDENS, Attorney Number 6201109 File
Information: M.R. 18166, 02 DC 1004
Mr.
Edens, who was licensed in 1989, was disbarred on consent. While
employed as a commercial title examiner by a title insurance company,
he embezzled approximately $86,400 from the company’s escrow account
by having company checks issued for nonexistent products, services, or
expenses that he fraudulently claimed were related to the company’s
customers.
In
re BARBARA J. GAFFEN, Attorney Number 6188415 File
Information: M.R. 18285, 01 CH 98
Ms. Gaffen, who was
licensed in 1984, was suspended for one year. Between 1994 and 2000,
she represented taxpayers challenging real estate property tax
assessments in partnership with a disbarred lawyer. She also shared
the legal fees generated by that practice with the disbarred attorney
for the duration of the association.
In re DAVID GOODSON,
Attorney Number File
Information: M.R. 18188, 01 CH 88
Mr. Goodson, who was licensed in 1975, was suspended for three months and
was required to complete the professionalism seminar of the Illinois
Institute of Professional Responsibility. He neglected a client’s
personal injury matter. After the client filed a grievance against
him, Mr. Goodson entered into a settlement agreement with the client
that limited the client’s right to pursue the grievance.
In
re IONE YOUNG GRAY, Attorney Number 6221592 File
Information: M.R. 18230, 02 RC 1505
Ms. Gray was licensed
in Illinois in 1974 and in California in 1977. California disciplined
her for making a false statement on a loan application, fraudulently
using a social security number, and for continuing to practice law
while suspended. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and ordered
her suspended for five years, with the suspension stayed by probation
for four years on the condition that she serve an actual suspension
for four years and six months, retroactive to April 29, 1997 and until
she is reinstated in California.
In
re LAWRENCE PHILLIP GULOTTA, Attorney Number 1083848 File
information: M.R. 18177, 02 DC 1005 Mr. Gulotta, who was licensed in 1974, was
disbarred on consent. He was convicted in federal court
of racketeering, mail fraud and theft. The misconduct occurred
while he was serving as the Calumet City Prosecutor.
In re KIM L. HARPER,
Attorney Number 6209121 File
information: M.R. 18210, 02 CH 14
Ms. Harper, who was
licensed in 1992, was disbarred on consent. She misappropriated about
$75,000 in escrow funds, breached her fiduciary duty as an escrow
agent, and failure to cooperate with the disciplinary investigation.
In
re JOHN I. HENTZEL, Attorney Number 01195387 File
information: M.R. 18267, 98 CH 128
Mr. Hentzel, who was licensed in 1968, was
suspended for fifteen months and until further order of Court.
Before applying for reinstatement, he must make certain
restitution and successfully complete a course of instruction on the
Rules of Professional Conduct and he must maintain enrollment in an
alcohol treatment program. He failed to complete a client’s
estate planning documents; did not promptly refund unearned fees in a
breach of contract action, billed clients for unauthorized estate
planning services, and converted $1,277.91 of the funds held in
connection with a client’s tax delinquency matter.
In
re RICHARD CHARLES HOLST, Attorney Number 1251554 File
Information: M.R. 18175, 01 CH 12
Mr.
Holst, who was licensed in Illinois in 1975, was suspended for three
years and until further order of Court. He prepared documents that
helped one of his client obtain access to an elderly woman’s
property. The documents allowed his client to financially harm the
woman. He also neglected a driver’s license reinstatement matter,
misled his client about the claim, and failed to notify Illinois of
two separate disciplinary actions taken against him by Michigan
disciplinary officials.
In
re DORIS S. HOUSER, Attorney Number 1268554 File
Information: M.R. 18243, 02 RC 1507
Ms. Houser was
licensed in Illinois in 1975 and in Ohio in 1988. She was convicted in
Ohio for perjury, tampering with evidence, and tampering with records
in a domestic violence matter, and was indefinitely suspended from the
practice of law in Ohio. As reciprocal discipline, she was suspended
in Illinois until such time as she is reinstated in Ohio.
In re GEORGE C. HOWARD,
JR., Attorney Number 1269534 File
information: M.R. 18260, 00 CH 87
Mr. Howard was licensed in 1962 and is currently suspended until further
order of the Court. He neglected a client’s criminal appeal, lied to
the client about the status of the case, and failed to refund the
client’s $5,000 fee after he was discharged from the case. He was
suspended for three years and until further order of Court,
retroactive to March 22, 2002, the date of his pending suspension, and
was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $5,000.
In
re CALVIN HULTQUIST, Attorney No. 6212001 File
Information: M.R. 18297, 01 SH 77
Mr. Hultquist, who was licensed in
1993, was suspended for three years and until further order of Court
and until he makes certain restitution.
He neglected two criminal matters, failed to communicate with
his clients, failed to return an unearned fee paid in advance, failed
to deliver funds owed to a client, and failed to cooperate with the
disciplinary investigation.
In
re RONALD ERIC HUSER, Attorney Number 6193291 File
Information: M.R. 18241, 02 RC 1508
Mr. Huser was licensed
in Illinois in 1986 and in Arizona in 1988.
He was disciplined in Arizona for representing an insured in a
contested matter without the insured's knowledge or consent. Illinois
imposed reciprocal discipline and censured him.
In re RESA JOYCE JANNETT,
Attorney Number 3128891 File
Information: M.R. 18194, 01 CH 112
Ms.
Jannett, who was licensed in 1981, was censured. Without recommending
that a client consult with independent counsel, she advised the client
to dismiss voluntarily an appeal in exchange for the adversary’s
agreement not to pursue sanctions against both Ms. Jannett and the
client.
In
re FRANK MARTIN JODZIO, Attorney Number 1338609 File
Information: M.R. 18231, 02 RC 1506
Mr. Jodzio was
licensed in Illinois in 1970 and in California in 1971. He was
disciplined in California for failing to hold client funds in a
separate account, which led to the conversion of the money. Illinois
imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for ninety days, the
suspension stayed after thirty days, and he was placed on probation
for one year subject to conditions.
In re MICHAEL GREGORY
JOHNSON, Attorney Number 6202655 File
Information: M.R. 18268, 01 CH 73
Mr.
Johnson, who was licensed in 1990, was suspended for six
months, with the suspension stayed in its entirety and he was placed
on probation for two years, subject to conditions. He wrote a
$1,900.00 personal check to purchase traveler’s checks at a time
when his account had insufficient funds to cover the check, and he
then deposited the traveler’s checks into his personal checking
account to make cash available to the account. Further, he wrote
numerous personal checks on his account at a time when there were
insufficient funds on deposit.
In re SAEED AHMED KHAN,
Attorney Number 6226508 File
Information: M.R. 18301, 02 RC 1515
Mr. Khan was licensed
in Michigan in 1993 and in Illinois two years later.
He was disciplined in Michigan after he was convicted in
federal court for creating a false document or writing. He had
falsified documents in an immigration matter. Illinois imposed
reciprocal discipline and disbarred him.
In re DANIEL R. KEELE,
Attorney Number 6199022 File
Information: M.R. 18251, 02 RC 1510
Mr. Keele was licensed in Illinois
in 1988 and in Louisiana the same year.
He was disciplined in Louisiana for failing to inform a client
that he was no longer going to pursue his case because it was not
economically feasible. He also failed to cooperate in two different
disciplinary investigations. As reciprocal discipline, Illinois
suspended him until he is reinstated in Louisiana.
In re DANIEL JOHN KLIER,
Attorney Number 6196998 File
Information: M.R. 18284, 02 RC 1512
Mr. Klier was licensed
in Illinois in 1987 and in California in 1993. He was disciplined in
California for committing a criminal act by offering a bribe to
opposing counsel in a civil action. Illinois imposed reciprocal
discipline and suspended him for four years, with the suspension
stayed subject to an actual suspension of thirty months retroactive to
December 8, 1999, followed by four-year period of probation and until
he is reinstated in California. He will then be on probation subject
to terms imposed in California.
In
re CARL WEHLING KUHN, Attorney Number 1544640 File
Information: M.R. 18176, 01 CH 102
Mr. Kuhn, who was
licensed in 1953, was suspended for sixty days.
He neglected a dissolution of marriage case, improperly settled
the client’s malpractice claim against him, and entered an agreement
limiting the client’s right to pursue a disciplinary investigation
into his conduct.
In re STEVEN ANDREW MAPLES,
Attorney Number 6229775 File
Information: M.R. 18253, 99 CH 80
Mr. Maples, who was
licensed in 1995, was suspended for two years, with the suspension
stayed after the first year by probation with conditions.
He filed false documents in state court, neglected two personal
injury cases, and falsified signatures on documents in a real estate
transaction.
In re WILLIAM LLOYD MEYERS,
Attorney Number 1900838 File
Information: M.R. 18226, 01 CH 0087
Mr. Meyers, who was licensed in 1970, was suspended for sixty days. He
mismanaged $7,754.34 in settlement funds belonging to a client to whom
he had previously advanced money.
In
re DARREN KEITH MILLER, Attorney Number 6208424 File
Information: M.R. 18278, 02
CH 2
Mr.
Miller, who was licensed in 1991, was censured for neglecting two
personal injury matters for two different clients and required to
complete the professionalism seminar of the Illinois Professional
Responsibility Institute.
In re MITCHELL ROBERT
NAGORSKY, File
Information: M.R. 18159, 02 DC 1003
Mr. Nagorsky, who was licensed in 1975, was disbarred on
consent after he falsely stated to two clients that he had filed suit
on their behalf, made false representations as to the status of the
non-existent suits and, in one of the matters, created fraudulent
documentation, including forged federal court orders and IRS
correspondence, in an effort to deceive his client as to the filing
and status of the non-existent suit.
In
re GUS RICHARD REGAS, Attorney Number 3124982 File
information: M.R. 18229, 02 CH 5
Mr. Regas, who was licensed in 1979, was
suspended for six months and until further order of Court, with the
suspension stayed in whole by probation for a period of two years.
He failed to appear in court in a number of criminal cases set
for trial. In addition, in two different criminal matters, he fell
asleep during court proceedings.
In
re CHARLES JOSEPH ROJEK, Attorney Number 2367971 File
Information: M.R. 18143, 01 CH 38
Mr.
Rojek, who was licensed in 1960, was disbarred. He shared legal
fees with a non-lawyer, solicited personal injury business, gave
something of value to another for recommending his services, assisting
in the unauthorized practice of law and induced another to engage in
conduct that violated the ethics rules.
In
re ANGELO RUGGIERO, Attorney Number 2420244 File
Information: M.R. 18240, 00 CH 29
Mr. Ruggiero, who was
licensed in 1960, was suspended for one year. He was convicted of
criminal contempt for disobeying and resisting court orders in an
attempt to conceal his ownership of certain assets in proceedings to
enforce a judgment against him for failing to repay a $200,000 bank
loan.
In re MICHAEL CRAIG SACHS,
Attorney Number 6191660 File
Information: M.R. 18149, 01 CH 24
Mr. Sachs,
who was licensed in 1985, was suspended for two years and until
further order of Court. He neglected five client matters, including
three personal injury cases, and did not participate in his
disciplinary proceeding.
In
re GUY PACKARD SEABERG, Attorney Number 2536064 File
Information: M.R. 18283, 02 RC 1513
Mr. Seaberg was licensed in Illinois in 1968 and in Maine in 1977. He
was disbarred in Maine for neglect and breach of fiduciary to a
client. His misconduct resulted in the dismissal of his client's civil
suit for damages for alleged sexual abuse by her stepfather when she
was a minor. As reciprocal discipline, he was disbarred in Illinois.
In re JOSEPH P. SPIEZER,
Attorney Number 2689634 File
Information: M.R. 18161; 00 SH 49
Mr. Spiezer, who was licensed in
Illinois in 1973, was suspended for two years and until further order
of Court. He neglected four client cases and repeatedly lied to three
of those clients about the status of their matters.
He also failed to cooperate in the disciplinary proceedings.
Mr. Spiezer was suspended on an interim basis on December 11, 2001.
In
re BARBARA WEINSTEIN STACKLER, File
information: M.R. 18216, 01 CH 119
Ms. Stackler, who was licensed in 1988, was
disbarred on consent. She
misappropriated funds from two different clients, provided false
statements in an affidavit to a court, tendered NSF checks to a
gambling establishment, failed to refund unearned fees and return
client property, failed to pay a lienholder and did not cooperate in
disciplinary proceedings.
In re BURTON DOUGLAS
STEPHENS. Jr., File Information: M.R. 18160, 01 SH 105
Mr. Stephens, who was licensed in 1975, was suspended for twelve
months and until further order of Court, with the suspension stayed by
conditional probation. He was convicted for possession of less than
fifteen grams of a controlled substance, a Class Four felony. During a
traffic stop for a cracked windshield, police searched his vehicle and
found one-tenth of one gram of a substance containing cocaine.
In re VINCENT ANDRE STEPTER,
Attorney Number 6189660 File
Information: M.R. 18228; 02 RC 1504
Mr. Stepter was
licensed in Illinois 1985 and in Tennessee in 1988. He was disciplined
in Tennessee for using illegal drugs and for practicing law while his
law license was suspended. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and
disbarred him.
In
re RUSSELL JAMES STEWART, Attorney Number 3125218 File
Information: M.R. 18254, 01 CH 72
Mr.
Stewart, who was licensed in 1979, was censured. He represented
a woman in the preparation and filing of documents transferring her
interest in her marital residence to her husband.
When he later filed a bankruptcy petition on the client’s
behalf, he failed to identify the real property as having been
transferred by the client within the year preceding the filing of the
petition.
In re JOHN PHILLIP TURNER,
Attorney Number 2868849 File
Information: M.R. 18211, 01 SH 15
Mr. Turner, who was licensed in 1978, was suspended for thirty days. He failed to answer a rule to show cause in a pending lawsuit, resulting in the dismissal of the suit, and he misrepresented the status of the matter to the client. He also filed pleadings and appeared at a hearing in a Missouri workers’ compensation matter when he was not licensed in that jurisdiction.
In
re RICHARD M. VARCHETTO, Attorney Number 6181493 File
Information: M.R. 18248, 01 CH 02
Mr.
Varchetto, who was licensed to practice law in 1981, was suspended for
three months. He misrepresented the status of a case to a court; filed
a court pleading containing false information, and failed to
communicate adequately with a client.
In re WILLIAM JAY WALKER,
Attorney Number 2923815 File
Information: M.R. 18252; 02 RC 1511
Mr. Walker was licensed in
Illinois in 1975 and in Arizona in 1978. He was disciplined in Arizona
for engaging in a conflict of interest for touching a client’s
breast and attempting to begin a consensual sexual relationship with
her. Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and censured him.
In
re BRIAN LEE WALLACE, Attorney Number 3128569 File
Information: M.R. 18281, 02 RC 1514
Mr. Wallace was licensed in
Illinois in 1980 and in Maryland in 1987. He was disciplined in
Maryland for neglecting six client matters and failing to comply with
requests for information from the lawyer disciplinary authority.
Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and disbarred him.
In re KENNETH PAUL ZUREK,
Attorney Number 6187280 File
Information: M.R. 18164, 99 CH 45
Mr. Zurek, who was licensed in
Illinois in 1984, was disbarred. He engaged in profane and offensive
conduct during the course of a discovery deposition and took other
action in litigation that he knew or reasonably should have known
served merely to harass or maliciously injure. He was suspended on an
interim basis on December 11, 2001.
THE
FOLLOWING DISCIPLINARY ORDERS WERE ENTERED BY THE COURT BEFORE THE
SEPTEMBER TERM BUT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN ANY PREVIOUS INFORMATION
RELEASE:
In re KEVIN MICHAEL BRILL,
Attorney Number 6182552 File
information: M.R. 18150, 00 CH 34 (Order
entered on July 1, 2002)
Mr. Brill, who was licensed in 1982, was suspended on an interim basis and
until further order of Court. He
was charged with misappropriating approximately $14,000 from the
proceeds of the sale of a client’s home.
In
re THOMAS R. CIRIGNANI, Attorney Number 3121616 File Information: M.R. 17859, 00 CH 41 (Order
entered on August 14, 2002)
Mr. Cirignani, who was licensed in 1978, was suspended for eighteen months
after his disciplinary probation was revoked. In early 2002, he was
suspended for twenty-four months with the suspension stayed after the
first six months by probation with certain conditions.
Discipline was initially imposed because he used a physician’s
prescription blanks to prescribe controlled substances to himself.
After he was placed on probation, he was charged in a criminal
indictment with two counts of possession of a controlled substance
with intent to deliver.
In
re ROBERT LEO COYNE, Attorney Number 533505 File
Information: M.R. 18023, 01 CH 34 (Order
entered on June 17, 2002) Mr.
Coyne, who was licensed in 1971, was disbarred on consent. He
misappropriated over $400,000 from an elderly and disabled woman’s
trust funds for his own business and personal purposes. In addition,
he converted $365,720.64 of another elderly client’s funds and
failed to pay that client’s nursing home bills. He was suspended on
an interim basis on May 24, 2002.
In
re JEROME PAUL GENOVA, Attorney Number 6210856 File
information: M.R. 18189, 02 CH 35 (Order
entered on June 3, 2002)
Mr. Genova, who was licensed in 1992, was
suspended on an interim basis and until further order of Court. He was
convicted in federal court of racketeering, mail
fraud and theft. The misconduct occurred while he was serving as the
mayor of Calumet City.
In
re ELMER C.W. HANEBERG, III, Attorney Number 3122367 File
Information: M.R. 18144, 00 CH 22 (Order
entered on July 26, 2002)
Mr. Haneberg, who was licensed in
1978, was suspended on an interim basis and until further order of
Court. He was charged with misappropriating nearly $1,900,000 from two
elderly and disabled clients for whom he was acting as trustee.
In re VAL JEAN F. HILLMAN,
Attorney Number 6203077 File
information: M.R. 18215, 02 CH 46 (Order
entered June 21, 2002).
Mr. Hillman, who was
licensed in 1990, was suspended on an interim basis and until further
order of Court. A federal
jury returned a verdict finding him guilty of three counts of wire
fraud. He and his co-defendants engaged in a scheme to defraud
various banks and mortgage companies in order to obtain money and
property by providing false and fraudulent information and real estate
appraisals to lenders.
In re ROBERT BERRY MAYS,
JR., Attorney Number 1804014 File Information: M.R. 18261, 01 SH 80 (Order
entered on August 12, 2002)
Mr. Mays, who was licensed in
1969, was suspended on an interim basis and until further order of
Court. He was charged with practicing law when he was suspended due to
previous misconduct. In addition, he assisted non-lawyers in the
unauthorized practice of law by authorizing the employees of a real
estate management company to use his name and signature to file
complaints and motions in forcible entry and detainer cases.
In
re WILFRED FRANCIS RICE, JR., Attorney Number 2327295 File
information: M.R. 18195, 02 CH 36 (Order
entered on July 24, 2002)
Mr. Rice, who was licensed in 1959, was suspended on an interim basis and until further order of Court. He was convicted of theft in Iowa and sentenced to a prison term not to exceed ten years. After initiating a personal relationship with an elderly woman, he misappropriated about $180,000 from her bank account.
|
