Not A Skit

An 18 month suspension without automatic reinstatement was imposed by the Indiana Supreme Court for a false description of an incident on the applications  for law school and bar admission.

While an undergraduate student, Respondent was issued a citation in Wisconsin for retail theft. Respondent admitted culpability to law enforcement personnel responding to the incident, he did not contest the charge in court, and a default judgment was entered against him. Thereafter, Respondent falsely described this incident in his law school applications, and later in his Indiana and Illinois bar admission applications, as one involving a “skit” performed without criminal intent and with the prior approval of store personnel. Respondent eventually admitted these falsehoods and reported his misconduct to the Commission after being confronted by authorities in Illinois with the police report and other records of the incident.

Lesson: Disclose and disclose accurately on any application. A truthful descrition likely would have had no adverse impact on either application. (Mike Frisch)