Illinois Actions

Actions announced yesterday by the Illinois Supreme Court include these matters

Former Governor Blagojevich, who was licensed in 1984, was disbarred after engaging in numerous criminal acts while serving as the Governor of Illinois. A federal jury found that he had committed the offenses of wire fraud, attempted extortion, corrupt solicitation, conspiracy to commit extortion, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and making material false statements to agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Blagojevich had been placed on an interim suspension on October 26, 2011.

Mr. Schmuhl, who was licensed in 2009, was disbarred on consent. He was convicted in a circuit court in Virginia of abduction with the intent to extort money, aggravated maiming, using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and burglary. He entered a Virginia home belonging to a partner in the law firm that had formerly employed Mr. Schmuhl’s wife, took the partner and his spouse hostage, and physically attacked them. Mr. Schmuhl was sentenced to life imprisonment on the most serious charges.

(Mike Frisch)