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Supreme Court disbars, suspends six Ohio attorneys

The Supreme Court today announced decisions in six cases charging attorney misconduct.

The court permanently revoked the law licenses of Jeffrey Carl Keith of Parma and Leonard Young of Cleveland. Temporary license suspensions were meted out to Thomas Joseph Foster of Columbus, Patrick M. Lawlor of Broadview Heights, Douglas R. Sexton of Mansfield and Martin L. Watson IV of West Chester.

DISBARRED

Jeffrey Carl Keith (Parma), case no. 00-2250. The Supreme Court voted 7-0 to adopt findings by disciplinary commissioners that Keith's 1995 felony convictions for arson and grand theft equated to violation of three attorney conduct codes.

Keith was convicted for repeatedly vandalizing cars belonging to a woman he had dated and her friends. The woman left Keith after a two-year abusive relationship, court papers say.

Contacts
Jonathan E. Coughlan and Kenneth R. Donchatz, 614.461.0256, for the Office Disciplinary Counsel.

Leonard J. Young (Cleveland), case no. 01-970. The Cleveland Bar Association filed a complaint of misconduct against Young in August 2000, citing a "continued and pervasive neglect of his clients' interests."

The complaint charged Young with pilfering almost $65,000 from estates he had been hired to oversee and keeping $4,110 in unearned retainers.

The Supreme Court adopted, with a 7-0 vote, findings by disciplinary commissioners that Young violated seven attorney conduct rules, plus an additional rule that requires lawyers to cooperate with investigations into their alleged misconduct. The court called Young's conduct a "callous indifference to his clients' interests and to the standards of professional ethics required of a member of the bar."

Contacts
Douglas N. Barr and Jennifer A. Lesny, 216.566.5500, for the Cleveland Bar Association.

SUSPENDED

Thomas Joseph Foster (Columbus), case no. 01-368. The court's unanimous decision indefinitely suspends Foster's license to practice law, adopting findings by disciplinary commissioners that his mishandling of several bankruptcy matters over a 19-month period constituted seven counts of misconduct.

Foster's "conduct...demonstrated a pattern and practice of carelessness, inattention to detail, procrastination, and failure to communicate with clients and court officials and indicated that he was not competent to practice bankruptcy law," the court's opinion says.

The court ordered Foster to make full restitution to his former clients before seeking to have his license reinstated.*

Contacts
Pamela N. Maggied, 614.464.2236, Randall S. Arndt, 614.462.2235, and Bruce A. Campbell, 614.221.4112, for the Columbus Bar Association.

Patrick M. Lawlor (Broadview Heights), case no. 00-2281. Convicted of attempted aggravated grand theft in May 1996, Lawlor was spared permanent disbarment when the court found that the four-year gap between his conviction and the filing of formal profession misconduct charges against him was unreasonable. The court voted 7-0 to suspend his law license indefinitely.*

Lawlor's "felony conviction for converting the funds of a corporation of which he was a treasurer would alone warrant disbarment...Nevertheless, we believe some mitigation of the penalty is appropriate because of the delay," the court's opinion says.

The opinion finds that Lawlor violated three attorney conduct rules, citing him also for practicing law after his license was suspended pending the disciplinary investigation into his felony conviction.

Contacts
Jonathan E. Coughlan and Stacy Solochek Beckman, 614.461.0256, for the Office Disciplinary Counsel.

Christopher J. Mallin, 216.662.7711.

Douglas R. Sexton (Mansfield), case no. 00-2289. With a 7-0 vote, the court imposed an 18-month license suspension on Sexton, substituting probation for the final 12 months.

The decision adopts a recommendation by disciplinary commissioners who found that Sexton violated three attorney conduct rules when he neglected the legal matters of three clients. The court ordered Sexton to return $600 in retainers to his clients and complete the work for which he was hired. He also must complete courses in office and time management.

Contacts
William Travis McIntyr, 419.525.1611, for the Richland County Bar Association.

Martin L. Watson IV (West Chester), case no. 01-369. The Cincinnati Bar Association filed a complaint against Watson in March 2000, charging him with numerous counts of misconduct. An investigation later disclosed that Watson neglected the various legal matters of nine different clients, keeping at least $5,300 in unearned retainers and absconding with $61,3000 in other client monies.

The Supreme Court voted 6-1 to adopt those findings, plus the recommendation by disciplinary commissioners that Watson be suspended from practicing law indefinitely.

Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton wrote in a dissenting opinion that she would disbar Watson because of the extent of his misconduct.

"His actions in accepting retainers from several clients, failing to follow through on any of the promised services, and refusing to refund retainers or client documents when terminated rise to the level of theft. His clients suffered serious harm."

Watson "has not even bothered to respond to the disciplinary complaint. I believe that he has forfeited his right to practice law in Ohio," Stratton said.

Contacts
Beth I. Silverman, 513.241.9844, and Ellen Essig, 513.721.5151.