Disciplinary Actions 08/05/20
Read who has resigned, been placed on probation or suspended from the practice of law in Indiana during the most recent reporting period.
Discipline
Articles
Legal community mourns passing of long-time Floyd Co. prosecutor Henderson
Keith Henderson, who served as Floyd County prosecuting attorney for nearly 20 years, died Aug. 1 at his home surrounded by his family following a battle with Lyme disease. He was 59.
Indianapolis attorney convicted of OWI suspended for 90 days
An Indianapolis attorney has been suspended for 90 days with automatic reinstatement following his conviction of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and several violations of the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct related to client representation.
Merrillville attorney’s discipline converted to indefinite suspension
Indiana Supreme Court justices have indefinitely suspended a Lake County lawyer who was suspended earlier this year for failing to cooperate with the disciplinary commission concerning a grievance against him.
Lawyer sentenced for theft from charity resigns from bar
An Indianapolis attorney has resigned from the bar rather than face a disciplinary proceeding a month after he was convicted of felony theft related to the misappropriation of funds from a charity that benefited Riley Children’s Hospital and a related business.
Ex-judge accused of trust theft, his lawyer sanctioned for bid to ‘mislead’ court
An ex-Indiana judge whose former law office is accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from an estate he established that was meant to go to charity has been sanctioned — as has his defense attorney — after a judge ruled they made false statements and attempted to mislead the court in the charity’s civil lawsuit.
AG Hill pledges support to ‘conservative principles’ after convention defeat
In the aftermath of a convention defeat that will keep him from serving a second term in office, Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is vowing to “continue to support and fight for our conservative principles.” Hill, however, did not explicitly endorse Republican AG nominee Todd Rokita.
Disciplinary commission warns of social media slip-ups that can violate rules
Lawyers must proactively police and amend their social media pages to ensure third-party comments don’t break ethical rules, a new advisory opinion from the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission says.
Indianapolis family law attorney gets stayed suspension after disorderly conduct
An Indianapolis attorney who pled guilty to disorderly conduct arising from a domestic altercation at home has received a stayed suspension from the Indiana Supreme Court, causing a divide among the justices, two of whom favored an active suspension.
Fort Wayne lawyer who neglected multiple clients agrees to 180-day suspension
An Allen County lawyer who admitted to bilking multiple clients and neglecting their cases will be suspended from the practice of law for 180 days without automatic reinstatement, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
Crown Point, Chesterton attorneys get stayed suspensions for attorney misconduct
Two Northern Indiana attorneys have received stayed suspensions stemming from their individual attorney misconduct, the Indiana Supreme Court ordered on Thursday. Both attorneys acknowledged that they mismanaged trust accounts and commingled client funds.
Indianapolis attorney gets probation for felony theft conviction
An Indianapolis attorney who pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge for stealing from a charity for the benefit of sick children has been sentenced to six months of probation.
About 250 lawyers face suspension over unmet dues, education requirements
More than 150 Indiana lawyers and nearly 100 out-of-state attorneys face suspension from the practice of law for unpaid dues, violations of Interest on Lawyer Trust Account rules or failure to comply with continuing legal education requirements.
Carmel Catholic pastor suspended over Black Lives Matter remarks
A bishop suspended a suburban Indianapolis Catholic pastor from public ministry Wednesday for remarks in which he compared the Black Lives Matter movement and its organizers to “maggots and parasites.”
7th Circuit finds judge misapplied prison rule without explanation
A judge who overturned prison discipline for an inmate who wrote an unauthorized check to a fellow inmate’s family member left a panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals puzzled in a brief reversal Monday.
Purdue expels student for racist statements on social media
Purdue University President Mitch Daniels has expelled an undergraduate student for “racist and despicable” statements he made on social media. Purdue said in a news release Tuesday that Daniels determined that repeated statements posted by Maxwell Lawrence “appear plainly intended to incite others and therefore create a risk of public safety issues in the current environment.”
Disciplinary Actions 06/24/20
Read who has been subject to Indiana Supreme Court discipline orders in the most recent reporting period.
AG candidates make final pleas to GOP delegates
The crowded field of lawyers seeking the Indiana GOP nomination for attorney general will soon be narrowed to one as the four candidates make their final pleas for support from the state’s Republican delegates. The field includes embattled AG Curtis Hill, Decatur County Prosecutor Nate Hater, former Rep. Todd Rokita and Bose McKinney & Evans attorney John Westercamp.
AG Hill accusers vow to pursue ‘all available civil claims’ in state court
After a federal court ruling that terminated Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill as a defendant in their lawsuit, the four women who accuse Hill of sexual misconduct say they will “continue their pursuit of all available civil claims” against the AG.
Indianapolis attorney who took assistant’s Social Security withholdings disbarred
An Indianapolis attorney who converted his only employee’s Social Security withholdings for his own personal use for more than a decade has been disbarred from the practice of law after the Indiana Supreme Court found that he had committed attorney misconduct.