by David McAfee
A lawyer in Indiana was suspended for 90 days by the state’s high court for allegedly using a deposition to threaten to make public the intimate photos of a woman who was seeking a protective order against his client.
Allen R. Stout was accused of behaving inappropriately in a deposition and hearing towards the wife of a man he represented in a marital dissolution case. He was separately accused of using a deposition to threaten to expose intimate photos of a woman who was seeking a protective order to prevent alleged harassment by another of Stout’s clients.
As to Stout’s behavior toward the husband of the woman he represented, a hearing officer found that the conduct was unprofessional but didn’t violate any rules.
But related to the photos, the hearing officer concluded Stout violated Indiana Professional Conduct rules by knowingly making a false statement of material fact in the the course of representing a client, engaging in dishonest conduct, and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
The Indiana Supreme Court affirmed those findings on Thursday, saying it found “sufficient support” for the hearing officer’s conclusions. The court also accepted the hearing officer’s recommendation for a 90-day suspension.
Court documents don’t list counsel for Stout. Representatives for Stout’s law firm didn’t immediately return Bloomberg Law’s request for comments on Friday.
The case is In re Stout, Ind., No. 20S-DI-719, 2/3/22.
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