In The Spotlight

From the web page of the Ohio Supreme Court:

In a decision announced today, the Supreme Court of Ohio imposed atwo-year license suspension against [a] Dayton attorney…based onan incident in which [he] engaged in an armed standoff with Daytonpolice after firing a handgun out of a window of his home to frightenaway an “intruder” who turned out to be an on-duty police officerinvestigating a stolen car report. [The attorney] was ultimately forced fromhis home by officers firing teargas. He subsequently entered guiltypleas to felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon and inducingpanic. [His] law license has been under suspension since the Courtwas notified of his criminal convictions in August 2007.

Intoday’s decision, the Court agreed with findings by the Board ofCommissioners on Grievances & Discipline that [he] engaged inillegal conduct involving moral turpitude and conduct that adverselyreflects on his fitness to practice, but also noted that on the nightof the incident [he] had been awakened from a deep sleep by aspotlight being shined into his darkened home, and that the uniformedofficer who entered his yard was obscured by the glare of his spotlightand did not identify himself as the police

In light ofaggravating and mitigating factors in the case, including [his]admission of guilt and nearly 30 years of law practice without priordisciplinary infractions, the Court adopted the board’s recommendationsthat [he] receive a two-year suspension with credit for time alreadyserved since his interim suspension on Aug. 30, 2007, and that hesuccessfully complete a mental health evaluation prior to reinstatementof his license.

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