Felony Battery Conviction Draws Interim Suspension

The Indiana Supreme Court suspended an already-suspended attorney convicted of battery

The Court, being duly advised and upon consideration of all materials submitted, now finds that Respondent has been found guilty of the following offense under Indiana law: Battery on a Person Less Than 14 Years Old, a level 6 felony.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Respondent is suspended from the practice of law in this State, effective immediately. Respondent is already under suspension as ordered in Case No. 19S-DI-56. Respondent is ordered to fulfill the continuing duties of a suspended attorney under Admission and Discipline Rule 23(26). The interim suspension shall continue until further order of this Court or final resolution of any resulting disciplinary action, provided no other suspension is in effect.

Yahoo! News reported

A former Muncie attorney has been convicted of battering a child in a local restaurant.

A Delaware Circuit Court 2 jury on Wednesday found Michael P. Quirk, 45, guilty of battery on a person less than 14 years old, a Level 6 felony carrying up to 30 months in prison.

The jury also found the Muncie man guilty of two misdemeanors, resisting law enforcement and public intoxication.

Quirk was found not guilty of two other misdemeanor battery charges.

The charges stemmed from events on April 20, 2022, at the Puerta Vallarta restaurant at 3505 N. Wheeling Ave.

Witnesses said an intoxicated Quirk aggressively grabbed the chest of a 12-year-old boy, with whom he was not acquainted.

Because of Quirk’s prior work as a lawyer in Delaware County, out-of-county prosecutors — Christopher Gaal of Bloomington and Stanley Levco of Evansville — were appointed to the case.

Blackford Circuit Court Judge Brian Bade, who presided over the case, set Quirk’s sentencing hearing for Nov. 9.

Quirk — also chairman of Delaware County’s Democratic Party from 2010 to 2013 — was defended by Muncie attorney Angelus Kocoshis.

Quirk’s law license was suspended by the Indiana Supreme Court in 2019.

(Mike Frisch)