“This Court Cannot, In Good Conscience, Allow Him To Continue To Represent Clients in This State At This Time”

The Rhode Island Supreme Court has immediately suspended an attorney for his handing of an appeal before it

The respondent represented a party on an appeal from an order of the Superior Court granting declaratory judgment in favor of an adverse party. The appeal was docketed in this Court, but the respondent failed to file a statement of the case as required by Article I, Rule 12A of the Supreme Court Rules of Appellate Procedure.  On May 10, 2017, the Clerk of the Supreme Court sent notice to the respondent that the appeal had been dismissed for failure to timely file his statement of the case, but that the dismissal would be vacated and the appeal reinstated if the statement of the case was filed on or before May 20, 2017. He did not file a statement of the case by that date.

However, on May 22, 2017, the respondent submitted via email to a Deputy Clerk of the Court what purported to be a statement of the case. It is that attempted filing which drew the immediate attention of this Court. The respondent’s attempted filing was rambling, incoherent, and completely failed to address his failure to timely file his statement of the case or set forth any cogent statement of the issues sought to be raised on appeal. Moreover, his filing was replete with scurrilous accusations alleging unethical and criminal conduct by the trial justice and the attorney representing the opposing party. Additionally, the respondent made outlandish allegations regarding the character of each justice of this Court. The respondent has also filed a pleading with the Family Court accusing a judge of that court of being part of a “secret cabal” with a witness in a case pending before him, referred to the judge as having previously practiced at a “Jewish law  firm on what can only be considered skid row,” and alleged that the Family Court judge had “ties to the state and various conspiratorial fringe religious sects.” His rambling pleading made other outrageous allegations regarding the judge’s integrity.

The respondent’s pleadings filed in both courts raise serious questions as to his ability to represent clients competently. We provided the respondent with the opportunity to provide any factual support for any of his allegations. He was unable to provide any bases for his accusations. Moreover, as in his pleadings, his presentation was so incoherent that this Court cannot, in good conscience, allow him to continue to represent clients in this state at this time.

The suspension will remain in place pending a bar investigation.

The Providence Journal reported on earlier bar allegations. (Mike Frisch)