The Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission brings charges against attorneys who have violated
the state’s rules for admission to the bar and Rules of Professional Conduct. The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications
brings charges against judges, judicial officers, or judicial candidates for misconduct. Details of attorneys’ and judges’
actions for which they are being disciplined by the Supreme Court will be included unless they are not a matter of public
record under the court’s rules.
Reinstatement
Anna E. Fulkerson of Noble County was reinstated as a member of the Indiana bar in a Supreme Court order
filed Aug. 24, 2011. Fulkerson was suspended on Sept. 14, 2009, without automatic reinstatement. Her reinstatement was subject
to the following conditions: (1) successful completion of probation of at least two years on terms to be determined by JLAP,
consistent with the hearing officer’s recommendations; (2) she has no violations of the terms set by JLAP, the law,
or the Rules of Professional Conduct during the probation period; and (3) if she violates her probation, the commission may
petition the court to revoke her probation and to re-impose the suspension without automatic reinstatement. Probation remains
in effect until terminated pursuant to Admission and Discipline Rule 23(17.1).
Suspension
Todd E. Wallsmith of Knox County has been suspended from the practice of law in a Supreme Court order filed
Aug. 19, 2011. Wallsmith is suspended for a period of 180 days, beginning Sept. 30, with 45 days actively served and the remainder
stayed subject to completion of 24 months of probation with mental health treatment and JLAP monitoring. Wallsmith violated
Indiana Professional Conduct Rules 1.2(a): Failure to abide by a client’s decisions concerning the objectives of representation;
1.3: Failure to act with reasonable diligence and promptness; 1.7(a): Representing a client when the representation is directly
adverse to another client; and 3.3(a)(1): Knowingly making a false statement of fact to a tribunal and failing to correct
a false statement of material fact previously made to the tribunal by the lawyer.
Timothy D. Freeman of Marion County has been suspended from the practice of law for noncooperation with
the disciplinary commission. The suspension, provided in an order filed Aug. 19, 2011, was effective immediately. Pursuant
to Admission and Discipline Rule 23(10)(f)(3), the suspension will continue until: (1) the executive secretary of the disciplinary
commission certifies to the court that Freeman has cooperated fully with the investigation; (2) the investigation or any disciplinary
proceedings arising from the investigation are disposed of; or (3) until further order of the court, provided no other suspensions
are in effect. Freeman was already under a suspension order that became effective July 19, 2011.
Jacob A. Atanga of Marion County has been suspended from the practice of law for noncooperation with the
disciplinary commission. The suspension, provided in an order filed Aug. 19, 2011, was effective immediately. Pursuant to
Admission and Discipline Rule 23(10)(f)(3), the suspension will continue until: (1) the executive secretary of the disciplinary
commission certifies to the court that Freeman has cooperated fully with the investigation; (2) the investigation or any disciplinary
proceedings arising from the investigation are disposed of; or (3) until further order of the court, provided no other suspensions
are in effect.
Bruce J. Goldberg of Floyd County has been suspended from the practice of law in a Supreme Court order filed
Aug. 24, 2011. Goldberg is suspended for a period of 90 days, beginning Sept. 16, with 30 days actively served and the remainder
stayed subject to completion of two years of probation. Goldberg was found to have violated Indiana Admission and Discipline
Rules 23(29)(a)(2) and (3): Failure to maintain proper records for trust account activities; 23(29)(a)(4): Failure to deposit
funds received on behalf of clients intact; 23(29)(a)(5): Making withdrawals from a trust account without written withdrawal
authorization stating the amount and purpose of the withdrawal and the payee; and Indiana Professional Conduct Rule 1.15(a):
Failure to hold property of clients properly in trust, failure to hold property of clients separate from lawyer’s own
property, failure to safeguard client funds, and failure to maintain complete records of client trust account funds. While
the court said the terms of probation will include correction of all trust account errors, trust account monitoring, and a
designated number of CLE hours on trust account and law office management, it did note that nothing in the complaint or conditional
agreement suggests that any client funds were lost due to Goldberg’s misconduct.
Kjell P. Engebretsen of Boone County has been suspended from the practice of law for noncooperation with
the disciplinary commission. The suspension, provided in an order filed Sept. 2, 2011, was effective immediately. Pursuant
to Admission and Discipline Rule 23(10)(f)(3), the suspension will continue until: (1) the executive secretary of the disciplinary
commission certifies to the court that Freeman has cooperated fully with the investigation; (2) the investigation or any disciplinary
proceedings arising from the investigation are disposed of; or (3) until further order of the court, provided no other suspensions
are in effect. Engebretsen was already under a suspension order that became effective March 19, 2011.
Edward A. B. Castaldo of Hamilton County has been suspended from the practice of law for a period of not
less than 90 days, effective immediately. The suspension, provided in a Supreme Court order filed Sept. 2, 2011, revoked Castaldo’s
probation ordered by the court in 2009 and imposed suspension that had been stayed pending the lawyer’s completion of
a 24-month probationary period with specified requirements. According to the Sept. 2 order, Castaldo materially violated the
terms of the JLAP monitoring agreement and failed to attend a trust account management course, as previously ordered. He was
already under a suspension order that became effective June 20, 2011.
Public reprimand
Danny L. Whitten and Stacey E. Whitten of Porter County received a public reprimand in
a Supreme Court order filed Aug. 19, 2011. Both published an advertisement promoting themselves as “specializing in
bankruptcy relief” when neither had been certified as a specialist by an independent certifying organization accredited
by the Indiana Commission for Continuing Legal Education. This was in violation of Indiana Professional Conduct Rule 7.4(d)
(formerly Rule 7.2(c)(4))•














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