Ethy Awards

In this week's episode, Sean Carter recaps either nominees in four categories:

(1)  THE LITTLE RASCALS (Worst Love Scene)

An Illinois lawyer consented to disbarment after it was discovered that he invited a client to his office, asked her to lift her shirt and then pleasured himself while looking at the client.

(2)  DOUBLE TAKE (David Copperfield Award)

A New Jersey lawyer was censured for disbursing to himself twice the amount he was entitled to disburse as executor of his father's estate, thereby, cheating his sister out of her rightful share of the estate.

(3)  SUDDEN IMPACT (Worst Legal Strategy)

A D.C. lawyer who responded to a bar complaint by daring the investigator to disbar him got his wish -- a wish that was upheld by the D.C. Court of Appeals.

(4)  FOLLOW THE LEADER (Ms/Mr Uncongeniality Award)

An Illinois lawyer was suspended for six months for calling opposing counsel "stupid" and the b-word during a deposition, despite his contention that the election of Trump as President had changed the standards for acceptable civil discourse.

In this episode, Sean Carter humorously recaps another week of lawyers behaving badly and introduces a nominee in a brand new category -- The Hitchcock Award.   This award is awarded each year to the lawyer who receives the most "shocking" punishment.  Carter also provides an important (if completely made up) insight into Little Orphan Annie's true ethnicity.

(1)  ANNIE (David Copperfield Award)

A New York lawyer resigned from the bar after misappropriating a total of $2.6 million from four past clients.

(2)  EASY MONEY (Best Supporting Actor in a Criminal Activity)

A New York lawyer was suspended for one year for knowingly helping a client to set up (and operate) a money transmitting business that completely ignored the regulations surrounding such a business.

(3)  FAME (Hitchcock Award)

A Texas judge received a public warning for accepting a free $15 salad at a restaurant at a law firm sponsored event months before later awarded this law firm $2 million in attorney fees in a completely unrelated matter.

(4)  I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (Outlawyer Award)

A Pennsylvania lawyer has been forced to step down from his positions as president of the state bar and county solicitor after being charged with solicitation of prostitution.  The matter came to light after the lawyer went to the police because the escort was blackmailing him and threatening to make public their "business" arrangement.

In this episode, Sean Carter recounts four more outrageous ethics cases, including one case involving a lawyer who risked (and lost) it all to "stop the steal."

(1)  JUST MERCY (Most Creative Billing)

A North Carolina lawyer was suspended for five years for overcharging two mentally-challenged clients seeking restitution after being imprisoned for more than 30 years for crimes they didn't commit.

(2)  AMERICAN BEAUTY (Worst Legal Strategy)

A New York lawyer was disbarred for attempting to avoid a disciplinary suspension by resigning from the bar just two days before pleading guilty to securities violations.

(3)  THE TAX COLLECTOR (Critic's Choice Award)

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct has recommended a fully-stayed one-year suspension for an Ohio lawyer who accused the state supreme court of basing a prior decision "upon politics, not law" in a federal court pleading.

(4)  OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (Outlawyer Award)

A Pennsylvania lawyer has consented to disbarment after his indictment on domestic terrorism charges for traveling to Washington, D.C. in January with an AR-15, two handguns and lots of ammunition in an effort to "stop the steal."

In this episode, Sean Carter hilariously recaps this week's nominees for The Ethy Awards:

(1)  TUCKER (David Copperfield Award)

A Minnesota lawyer was disbarred for using his power as trustee of an estate to invest the trust funds in the lawyer's startup ventures, which all went belly up.

(2)  TOO LATE BLUES (Least Competent in a Legal Setting)

A New York lawyer was publicly censured for a pattern of late filings in federal court, resulting in the dismissal of her client's claims in a few cases.

(3)  WARNING SIGN (Most Creative Tale)

A Kansas lawyer received a three-year suspension (all but six months stayed) for forging the clients' signatures, with their consent, on property transfer documents and then notarizing his forgeries.

(4)  UNCLE BUCK (Worst Temper in a Non-Legal Setting)

A New York lawyer was publicly censured for brandishing a hatchet at a pedestrian after the pedestrian hit the lawyer's car with a diaper bag.

In this episode, your host, Sean Carter, introduces four new Ethy Award nominees, including the Taxi King of New York.  He also introduces one new category, the AT&T Award, given to lawyers who failed to adequately communicate with clients.

1)  THE PICKUP ARTIST (Worst Love Scene) -- An Indiana lawyer was suspended for 30 days for sending "a series of sexually explicit text messages evincing Respondent’s desire to engage in sexual acts with Client."

2)  THE BUCKET LIST (AT&T Award) -- A Massachusetts lawyer received a reprimand for lying to the client for three years misrepresenting the status of a case that had been long dismissed.

3)  IT'S NOT MY FAULT AND I DON'T CARE (Outlawyer Award) -- The North Carolina Bar has filed a complaint accusing a lawyer of a general pattern of lawlessness, including practicing while under suspension, evading taxes and violating a family violence protective order.

4)  TAXI DRIVER (Outlawyer Award) -- A New Jersey lawyer, who was known as the Taxi King of New York, was disbarred after being convicted of tax fraud for failing to remit more than $1,000,000 of surcharges collected from taxi customers.

In this episode, Sean Carter introduces the nominees in four different categories, including his personal favorite category -- Worst Love Scene.

(1)  KNIFE+HEART (Archie Bunker Award)

A Colorado judge was forced to step down from the bench and received a censure for racial and gender-related slurs uttered in the presence of court staff/

(2)  DAZED AND CONFUSED (Least Competent in a Legal Setting)

An Ohio lawyer received a stayed six-month suspension for her poor performance in a criminal appeal, including an appeals brief that was described as "52 page of the most difficult reading I've ever probably done in 12 years."

(3)  SHOOT 'EM UP (Ms/Mr Uncongeniality Award)

An Oregon lawyer was suspended for five years after shooting up the law office of a lawyer with whom he had previously served as co-counsel.

(4)  UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (Worst Love Scene)

A Wisconsin lawyer was suspended for two years after pleading guilty to attempted adultery.

In this episode, Sean Carter recaps the weeks most outrageous ethics violations, including one case from our friends up north.  He also introduces two (2) new categories -- Least Competent in a Legal Setting and the Joan Rivers Award.

(1)  OVER-EXPOSED (Least Competent in a Legal Setting)

A Canadian lawyer was reprimanded for including "nude and explicit" photos of the opposing party in an affidavit.

(2)  I GOT THE HOOK-UP 2 (Most Creative Tale)

A New Jersey judge has resigned from the bench and is suspended from the bar indefinitely for altering two documents that were requested in connection with an inquiry into her misconduct.

(3)  DRIVING MISS DAISY (Most Impaired in a Non-Legal Setting)

An Ohio lawyer was suspended indefinitely in connection with two criminal conviction, including a recent conviction for cocaine possession.

(4)  EVEN STEVENS (Joan Rivers Award)

A Tennessee lawyer has been censured for revealing mental health and other client information online in reaction to a negative Google review.

In this week's episode, Sean Carter introduces two new categories of nominees and one nominee that would qualify as The Most Bizarre Story Ever, if such a category existed.

(1)  MORE THAN PUPPY LOVE (Outlawyer Award)

A Pennsylvania lawyer was suspended for two years after pleading guilty to reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance when guns and drugs were found in his home.  The police were originally called out to his home to investigate a report that he had been engaged in bestiality with his yellow labrador named Snoopy.

(2)  WIND RIVER (Most Impaired in a Non-Legal Setting)

A Wyoming lawyer who became Chief Judge of the Wind River Tribal Court was disbarred for dealing drugs to support her opioid addiction.

(3)  THE RAINMAKER (Eager Beaver Award)

Two New York lawyers received 18-month suspensions for aiding in the unauthorized practice of law by hiring a suspended lawyer as a "paralegal" and then turning over their firm's real estate practice to their suspended colleague.

(4)  MALTESE FALCON (Best Original Excuse)

A Georgia lawyer's proposed two year suspension was reduced to merely a public reprimand when he was able to successful argue that he was being made the fall guy for rampant misconduct on behalf of all of his law firm partners.

In this episode, Sean Carter humorously recaps this week's Ethy Awards nominees (which include two judges) and introduces two (2) new categories -- Most Conflicted in an Adversarial Setting and Most Creative Billing.  Interestingly, the discussion of one nomination causes Sean to draw a parallel between that case and the current controversy involving NBA superstar Kevin Durant and comedian/actor Michael Rapaport.

(1)  THE FORGER (Most Creative Tale)

A Massachusetts lawyer resigned from the bar after he was caught forging a US Attorney's signature to a settlement document, inflating his legal fees in his request for reimbursement and making false statements to bar investigators.

(2)  THE DICEMAN COMETH (Ms/Mr Uncongeniality Award)

A New York judge resigned after his then-girlfriend disclosed text messages in which the judge talked about another ex-girlfriend in language that was “vulgar, crude, demeaning and/or featured extreme gender-based slurs and profanity.”

(3)  THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Most Conflicted in an Adversarial Setting)

A New York judge was reprimanded for posting pictures of himself wearing his police uniform (from his days as a cop) and voicing his current support for law enforcement on Facebook.  In accepting his sanction, the judge acknowledged that his posts might cause some members of the public to "reasonably question his ability to conduct himself in a fair and impartial manner while presiding over cases involving law enforcement."

(4)  THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (Most Creative Billing)

A Massachusetts lawyer was suspended for two years for overbilling two clients for 450 hours of work that was not performed for two clients in an effort to increase her partnership bonus at year-end.

In this episode, Sean Carter tries to experiment with a more free-flowing format as he introduces four new nominees and one new Ethy Award category -- Most Deceptive Use of Marketing.  The nominees are:

(1)  BLANK CHECK (David Copperfield Award)

A Pennsylvania lawyer was disbarred for using his position as Treasurer of his Masonic Lodge to steal from the organization.

(2)  EPIC (Most Deceptive Use of Legal Marketing)

The Florida Bar has filed a complaint against a lawyer who is branding himself as a "Pitbull Lawyer" and is using an image of a pit bull with a spiked collar on his business cards, website, Facebook page, office door and even on his boat.

(3)  E.T. (Archie Bunker Award)

A California lawyer with a prior history of misconduct has been disbarred for misappropriating client funds and his aggressive tactics in dealing with opposing parties he deemed to be "illegal aliens."

(4)  THREESOME (Worst Love Scene)

A Virginia lawyer agreed to a two-year suspension in connection with a series of bar complaints, one of which involved his continuing efforts to arrange a threesome between himself, his girlfriend and his client, who happened to be in jail at the time.