It Was Infatuation

The Maryland Court of Appeals has ordered disbarment in a matter summarized in the court’s headnote:

Court of Appeals disbarred former Deputy State’s Attorney who, due to infatuation with a co-worker, used his position while in office to enter nole prosequi dispositions for five traffic citations as personal favors to the co-worker, facilitated the co-worker’s taking leave to which she was not entitled, interfered with a criminal prosecution of the co-worker for embezzling funds from the State’s Attorney’s Office, and deleted protectively emails from the co-worker’s work computer after her termination.

The attorney’s misconduct took place while serving in Queen Anne’s County. The co-worker was his office manager.

The court’s 5o page opinion rejects a host of exceptions that the attorney had filed.

Among the allegations was a contention that the Assistant Bar Counsel had facilitated violation of a witness sequestration order.  (Mike Frisch)