“A Rotten, Mean-Spirited, Convicted Criminal Bully”
The Illinois Administrator has filed a complaint alleging that an attorney violated confidentiality obligations of a former client who he had represented on a battery charge
On or about October 23, 2013, J.O. posted a client review of Respondent’s services on the website http://LisTwns.com, in which he discussed his dissatisfaction with Respondent’s services. In the posting, J.O. stated:
this guy practices law just as bad as he looks. After you lose, his excuse is ‘you got what you paid for.’ Do yourself a favor, when you see his ad […] FLAG IT – the untalented barrister, Drew Harwick, needs to advertise his services elsewhere.
On October 24, 2014, J.O. posted another client review of Respondent, this time on the legal referral website www.AVVO.com, in which he discussed his dissatisfaction with Respondent’s services. In the posting, J.O. stated:
I hired Mr. Harwick to represent me for a simple misdemeanor battery charge. After my jury conviction I filed an appeal. Last week the trial judge vacated the jury verdict and granted me my new trial due to Mr. Harwick’s ineffective assistance. I find it hard to believe I’m the only one who has a negative review of Mr. Harwick’s ability to practice law.
In or in about December, 2014, Respondent, on his own website [posted]
This is Drew Harwick, Attorney’s response to the negative review on the internet. To my clients: please look at the other articles under Google, Bing, and Yahoo to learn about my experience and background. This particular article is solely a response to a negative review (rant) by a rotten, mean-spirited convicted criminal bully named [J.]. ([J.] writes like a “jailhouse lawyer wannabe,” a soap opera magazine trash writer), subverting “the truth” into “the tooth”)(a clown)(takes over 60 hours to write (Wacko)(a clown) for a minor simple battery case over two years ago (double Wacko)(a clown) and steals my name to use in his own url or domain name (Triple Wacko)(a clown) [….]
Respondent further stated:
[…] [J.] received no jail time. (The judge wanted to put [J.] in jail, but I convinced the judge not to) (at the sentencing, [J.] stated to the judge that he had done jail time before.)
Respondent further stated:
[…] [J.] (bully) poked an old man (victim) while swearing at work, the old man jolted backwards. The old man (victim and co-worker) and an independent eye witness testified against [J.] at the trial. (The witness witnessed the bullying and swearing, she also testified that [J.] also came up to her and aggressively verbally bothered her). The police indicated [J.] had a reputation at the company he worked at of being a bully. I eventually called the company and the man who answered the phone indicated “they have cut ties” with [J.].
Respondent further stated:
[…] [J.] called me a year after the case was over. He used a fake name and pretended he had a legitimate reason to call. I said “This is [J.]” [sic] He denied it. I asked him what he did for work. He said he is heavily into military activities. [J.] is a veteran over 55 years old.
Respondent further stated:
By the way, does [J.] ever show any remorse for committing the crime of battery or for having committed the crimes of dui [sic] and driving on a suspended license? No, with [J.] it is always “what in it for me”? [sic] “Let’s manipulate the justice system so that I can get away with the fact that I am a bully and I have hasseled [sic] people at work and I have gotten drunk and driven and I was physically abusive to an old man at work” [sic] What about that old man who received the battery? Do you think he had a nice day at work that day? [J.] is just a loser.[…]
Respondent further stated:
“Finally, [J.] is just a high school graduate. My advice to [J.] is to go to college for four years and law school for three years. Then, pass the Illinois bar exam. By that time, he will be 66 years old.”
On or about August 6, 2018, Respondent created a website with a web address that included J.O’s full name, nickname, occupation, and the town in which he lived. On or about July 18, 2019, Respondent posted the following comment on the website:
Notice: [J.O.], a 62 year old insurance adjuster, insurance agent who works at [J.O.’s office address] is a cyber-bully…. I had a small business transaction with [J.O.] about 6 years ago…. In 2013, after my business transaction with [J.] was over, he made a fake phone call to me denying he was [J.], I asked him what he did for work. He said that he is working deep in the military.
Allegation
By naming J.O. in his 2019 post on the website Respondent created, described in paragraph 14, above, including J.O.’s full office address and the name of the town in which J.O. lived, by describing J.O. as a veteran whom Respondent had represented in 2013, and by stating that J.O. had made a phone call to Respondent during which J.O. denied his identity, Respondent disclosed information that could reasonably lead to the discovery by third persons that J.O. was the same individual Respondent described in his 2014 post, described in paragraphs eight through 13, above.
In his December 2014 statements posted on his own website, described in paragraphs eight through 13, above, Respondent revealed information relating to his representation of J.O. when he described details of J.O.’s battery case and criminal history. Respondent did not obtain J.O.’s informed consent prior to posting the information described in paragraphs eight through 13, above.
Respondent’s statements in the postings described in paragraphs eight through 14 were designed to intimidate and embarrass J.O. and to keep him from posting additional information about Respondent on the website www.AVVO.com and the website www.LisTwns.com
It is alleged that Respondent entered into a consent discipline agreement but had failed to honor its terms. (Mike Frisch)