Breach Of Trust Draws Permanent Disbarment

From the web page of the Ohio Supreme Court:

The Court adopted findings bythe Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline that over a22-month period Parrish abused his position as attorney for the FatherVincent O’Dea Trust to write 15 unauthorized checks to himself andtransfer funds from the trust to his own accounts in amounts totalingmore than $172,000. Parrish was subsequently convicted of felony theftand has been under an interim license suspension based on thatconviction since October 2007.

The Court also adopteddisciplinary board findings that Parrish was guilty of professionalmisconduct by failing to file required documents and make a scheduledappearance in a court case on behalf of a married couple who hadretained him, ultimately resulting in a default judgment against hisclients and dismissal of their counter-claim against the opposing party.

TheCourt agreed with the board’s conclusions that Parrish violated, amongothers, the disciplinary rules that prohibit an attorney from engagingin illegal conduct involving moral turpitude; conduct involving fraud,deceit, dishonesty or misrepresentation; neglect of an entrusted clientlegal matter and intentionally causing damage or prejudice to a client.In imposing permanent disbarment as the appropriate sanction for hismisconduct, the Court noted the aggravating factors that Parrish actedwith a dishonest or selfish motive, engaged in a pattern of misconductinvolving repeated acts of misappropriation, and caused harm tovulnerable clients.

The court’s opinion is linked here. (Mike Frsch)