The Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission
Hearing Board found 'Lanre O.Amu knowingly made false statements or statements
with reckless disregard for the truth.
"Given the respondent's lack of remorse, failure to
understand the wrongfulness of his misconduct and inclination to personalize
adverse rulings, we are concerned that he will be unable to conform his future
conduct to professional standards," the hearing board report says.
The ARDC administrator filed a four-count complaint against
Amu in December 2011 asserting that he made statements about the integrity of
four judges that were false or made with reckless disregard as to their truth
or falsity.
Amu represented clients in two personal-injury cases, a
medical-malpractice action and a legal-malpractice lawsuit. Those cases were
before then-Cook County Circuit Judges Francis J. Dolan and Thomas R. Chiola, along with Circuit Court Judges Lynn M. Egan and Irwin S. Solganick.
The four judges all made rulings adverse to Amu's clients.
Amu asserted that Dolan's ruling in a personal-injury case
barring all the plaintiff's witnesses was improper and attacked the judge's
integrity and fairness.
Amu, who represented himself before the hearing board,
testified that he "stands by [his] statements," and his statements
were 100 percent correct, the report says. Amu also called his statements
"courageous."
The ARDC administrator's office urged that Amu be disbarred.
The hearing board disagreed.
"While we recognize respondent's misconduct is serious
and deserving of substantial discipline, we do not believe disbarment, the
harshest possible sanction, would better advance the goals of the disciplinary
system," says the hearing board report, which was issued last week.
"We do, however, believe a three-year suspension is
necessary to impress upon respondent the wrongfulness of his misconduct and
deter future misconduct."
As for the suspension-until-further-court-order condition,
the report says, "We are confident this hurdle is necessary for respondent
because he continues to view his conduct as not only acceptable but necessary,
lacks remorse and has demonstrated throughout these disciplinary proceedings
that he will likely continue to engage in the same course of conduct whenever
he believes he has been treated unfairly."
The hearing board consisted of its chair, Debra J. Braselton (pictured at left), Andrea D. Rice and Donald D. Torisky, a non-lawyer. In
the matter of Lanre O. Amu, No. 2011 PR 00106.
Amu said the ARDC is "abusing its processes" and
he plans to file exceptions to the hearing board report with the ARDC Review
Board, an appellate tribunal.
"What they have done there is a miscarriage of
justice," he said. "I reject it completely."
ARDC Deputy Administrator James J. Grogan declined to comment about the hearing board
report.Full Article and Source:
Lawyer Faces 3-Year License Suspension
See Also:
Information regarding 'Lanre O.Amu
Looks like somebody should be investigating the IL ARDC
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to free speech?
ReplyDeleteDid they investigate the Judges! Not allowing witnesses. Sounds like some Judges might need to be monitored!
ReplyDeleteOh the judges weren't going to have that, Thelma.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm something isn't sitting right with me on this I think the IL ARDC is withholding information that is relevant to the other side of the story. Could very well be the suspended lawyer had valid reasons to release information I think the 'fix' was in on opposing party. It's not what you know IT'S WHO YOU KNOW and what the payback is!! Good luck litigants in CROOK COUNTY. Sad isn't it that Cook County is known nationwide as CROOK?
ReplyDeleteOne of those 4 judges, Judge Egan's father and brother held chairs in ARDC. ARDC of IL is as corrupted as those Crook County judges.
ReplyDeleteAre we losing the real meaning of this country called ''America''? who fathered this land? some judges are wicked. how can someone ruled ignoring the evidences presented before the court? this is the most corrupt country in the world where people live like in a jungle. The fact is that the reason of the strongest is always the best in this country court systems. that's how animals rule in the in the bush. where is human conscience? as human beings can't we stand by the truth using all the talents that Lord gave us? all things on this earth are nothing but vanity. Only God Remains Our Judge. Do not forget that.
ReplyDeleteClick CLICKCLICK. Click-nuck, clickclick, click CLICK!
ReplyDelete