Meth Addicted Attorney Reinstated After Recovery
The Indiana Supreme Court has reinstated an attorney who had been suspended as a result of a criminal conviction.
The reinstatement is based on findings that
(1) The petitioner desires in good faith to obtain restoration of his or her privilege to practice law; (2) The petitioner has not practiced law in this State or attempted to do so since he or she was disciplined; (3) The petitioner has complied fully with the terms of the order for discipline; (4) The petitioner’s attitude towards the misconduct for which he or she was disciplined is one of genuine remorse; (5) The petitioner’s conduct since the discipline was imposed has been exemplary and above reproach; (6) The petitioner has a proper understanding of and attitude towards the standards that are imposed upon members of the bar and will conduct himself or herself in conformity with such standards; (7) The petitioner can safely be recommended to the legal profession, the courts and the public as a person fit to be consulted by others and to represent them and otherwise act in matters of trust and confidence, and in general to aid in the administration of justice as a member of the bar and an officer of the Courts; (8) The disability has been removed, if the discipline was imposed by reason of physical or mental illness or infirmity, or for use of or addiction to intoxicants or drugs; (9) The petitioner has taken the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) within six (6) months before or after the date the petition for reinstatement is filed and passed with a scaled score of eighty (80) or above.
The South Bend Tribune reported on her 2007 arrest
An Evansville lawyer faces drug-dealing charges for allegedly selling and delivering methamphetamine to a police informant at her law office. Teresa Perry, 33, was arrested Friday and jailed without bond at the Vanderburgh County Jail. Her arrest is the second time in just over a month that an Evansville attorney has faced meth-related charges. Brad Happe, who police say is a “friend and associate” of Perry, was arrested March 29 after authorities said they uncovered a meth lab in his Evansville law office and apartment. Sgt. Kurt Althoff of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department said police were suspicious at that time that Perry was involved, but the case against her was strengthened after Happe’s arrest. He said a confidential informant told police he had seen Perry and Happe, 30, using meth together. Perry’s arrest started with a police-monitored drug deal in April, Althoff said. According to the affidavit, an informant met Perry on April 21 and bought $5 worth of hydrocodone. He also delivered two containers of pseudoephedrine pills and $100 for a future delivery of meth, the affidavit said. Two days later, the informant picked up 1.19 grams of meth that had been left in a desk drawer in Perry’s law office, according to the affidavit. Police arrested Perry and then conducted a search of her law office Friday, reportedly uncovering a digital scale with meth residue, hypodermic needles and other evidence. According to the affidavit, Perry admitted to police she had used meth as recently as a month ago, the affidavit said, but she denied selling it.
The Indiana Law Blog posted a series of stories from Kate Braser of the Evansville Courier & Press.
Teresa Perry’s relatives said she was the kind of child who always earned straight A’s, kept her room spotless and never failed to remember a loved one’s birthday. As an adult, she would call to check on her cancer-stricken grandmother several times a day.
Her home was tidy, and she volunteered at her church.
Those are some of the reasons why relatives say they were shocked by the 33-year-old lawyer’s arrest in May. Perry was addicted to methamphetamine and faces eighty felony charges related to the drug.
Perry’s arrest came one month after the arrest of another Evansville lawyer, Brad Happe. He, too, admitted to a methamphetamine addiction, but contested his arrest on meth-making charges. Last week, a jury found him not guilty of manufacturing the drug.
The back-to-back arrests of two local professionals forced some to re-evaluate stereotypes about the drug, which can be manufactured using over-the-counter ingredients.
Now deep into an intensive addiction recovery program, Perry said she is proof positive that meth’s grip extends beyond the rural and poor.
“Meth affects everyone,” she said. “There are a lot of types of users. I am familiar with a number of professionals who use. It’s definitely a drug that is affecting all classes of people.”
14 News reported on the jury acquittal of Mr. Happe. (Mike Frisch)