Friday, February 25, 2011

Rogue Lawyer Makes Smoron Probate Mess Even Messier

It would be difficult to find a more dubious lawyer to represent you than Jacek Smigelski.

He's been caught overcharging clients. He lied to a judge. He often fails to show up in court. There's a long record of his habit of violating the Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers. He is facing a 15-month suspension of his law license.

Earlier this week a judge ordered him to come up with the nearly $300,000 he owes in connection with one of his client-scams — or face arrest on Feb. 28.

How does this rogue lawyer keep getting clients? How does he still have a law license?
Which might be the story, were it not for the fact that Smigelski is closely involved with the infamous Smoron Farm case in Southington, a tale that has taken another turn for the weird: Smigelski is now messing up a solution to this probate court outrage.

The Smoron Farm, you will recall, was given to longtime farmhand Sam Manzo under the will of Josephine Smoron, who died in 2009. But under the questionable oversight of former Southington Probate Judge Bryan Meccariello, Smoron's estate was dramatically altered and a plan devised to funnel the coveted property into the hands of a local developer, Carl Verderame. Local planning officials even approved Verderame's proposed sports center development, despite the fact that the land is still tied up in court.

Meccariello — who left office in disgrace to form (what else?) a probate consulting service — was censured by a state oversight panel for removing Manzo from the will. The lawyer who changed Smoron's will, John Nugent, hired Smigelski to represent him in court and in mediation proceedings designed to clean up the mess that Meccariello created.

Instead, Smigelski has assisted Nugent in blocking a resolution that would allow Manzo to inherit the farm.

"I'm trying to figure out what he's doing. I want to get this resolved,'' said Hartford lawyer Elliot Gersten, who is representing Manzo.

Most observers agree that Smoron's original will, which gives the farm to Manzo, should be adhered to. But Nugent and Smigelski are balking, using delaying tactics, filing motions and wasting court time, to block this sensible solution. Nugent, meanwhile, also faces disbarment proceedings for his role in the Manzo case.

Smigelski "knows he has certain rights within the system,'' said William Sweeney, who represents Stanley and Kazimierz Kosiorek, two brothers who were charged outrageous fees by Smigelski in a case that dates to 2006. "He pushes those rights until the very end."

Full Article and Source:
Rogue Lawyer Makes Probate Mess Even Messier

See Also:
CT: Probate Stench

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The stench is not just from probate; it's the lawyer self-protection system that keeps this bum in place!

Anonymous said...

If the thieves were put on hold (not allowed to practice) until they were cleared in discipline proceedings, the rest of them would get the message!

jerri said...

we live in a lawyer lawless society they know they are protected allowed to be on the loose and they call this oversight and playing we the chump people for fools because we do not have any rights in this a country run by lawyers is what we have become god help us and shame on us for wanting other countries to be like us

StandUp said...

Rick Green says it like it is!

Ben said...

I am pleased to see the truth about a lawyer set out in black and white.