Sex Crimes Get Illinois Attorneys Disbarred
The Illinois Supreme Court has ended the much-publicized disciplinary matter involving attorney Paul Weiss with an order of disbarment.
We had this story on the April 2014 hearing board report.
The hearing [board] has proposed a 30-month suspension for a series of sexually harrassing acts against female employees, a neighbor and a stranger.
Our earlier post links to and quotes the findings of behavior set forth in great detail that is truly horrific.
Given the nature and extent of the acts against subordinate lawyers, staff and even neighbors described in the hearing board report, I boldly predicted
I suspect this will end in a disbarment.
The Review Board had also recommended a lesser sanction of 30 months suspension over the dissent of Richard Green
While I agree with my colleagues with respect to their agreement that the findings of the Hearing Board are not against the manifest weight and their analysis of the applicable law, I must disagree as to the recommended sanction. Respondent engaged in similar conduct in the 1990’s, was disciplined and was to get treatment. Rather, he continued his bad behavior and in fact escalated it. Nothing in the record shows that he will not continue with the misconduct. Clearly this behavior leads the profession into disrepute. I would recommend that Respondent be disbarred.
The prior misconduct was described by the Review Board
The Hearing Board correctly considered his prior discipline in aggravation. Factors in aggravation revealed that, in 1993, while 26 years old, Respondent attended a high school girls’ volleyball game where he first saw a 17 year old girl he did not previously know. In November and December of 1993, Respondent made at least six obscene telephone calls to the girl, resulting in his arrest in February 1994 and conviction in March 1994 for telephone harassment. In addition, between November 1993 and April 1994, Respondent made six to eight obscene phone calls to another woman, a fellow associate working with him at a Chicago law firm. From December of 1994 to January 1995, while on supervision for the telephone harassment conviction, Respondent made at least four obscene phone calls to a woman who had been a paralegal at the firm where he worked. During March 1993, again in the Fall of 1993, and in September 1994, Respondent made a number of obscene phone calls to yet another woman.
The court sustained the Administrator’s exception as to sanction.
The petitions by the Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission and respondent Paul M. Weiss for leave to file exceptions to the report and recommendation of the Review Board are allowed, and respondent Paul M. Weiss is disbarred.
CBSChicago noted that eBossWatch named him one of 2014’s Worst Bosses in America.
The Illinois State Bar Association has summaries of the disciplinary orders entered on November 17 including another sex offense disbarment
Mr. Hedges, who was licensed in 2005, was disbarred on consent. He pled guilty to a Michigan-based charge of attempted criminal sexual conduct. In his plea, he admitted that he attempted to engage in sexual conduct with an individual by using force or coercion, but failed in the perpetration of the sexual conduct. He was sentenced to a 30-day term of incarceration and a 24-month period of probation.
(Mike Frisch)