Less Than Disbarment

The New York Appellate Division for the Third Judicial Department declined to impose disbarment in a matter arising out of the attorney’s conviction for a misdemeanor offense of filing a false instrument. The attorney had filed a false adotion petitionthat claimed that a certian man was the father of the child that she (the attorney) wished to adopt knowing that he was not the father. She was sentenced to a 60 day  term of incarceration in the criminal case.

The court imposed a suspension of four years, finding mitigation notwithstanding its view that the misconduct “strikes at the core principles of the legal system.” (Mike Frisch)