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KingCast sees complaints against Ohio attorneys, judges and domestic relations courts over divorce cases result in year-end Supreme Court report.

By Christopher King

An old grade school friend of mine reports that things are crazy in Ohio, with major delays not authorized by statute and a host of other alleged improprieties. Fist-fighting Lawyer Vincent Stafford and his brother Joe are up front and center. Many people accuse the pair of bilking clients and running up billables as noted in the linked Plain Dealer story. Read the comments here, too.

One of Northeast Ohio's highest-profile divorce lawyers is accused of lying to a judge, ignoring court orders and harassing the husbands of clients -- complaints that could result in suspension or disbarment.

Vincent Stafford faces a four-count complaint filed with a state commission that oversees grievances against lawyers. Eight years ago the same panel publicly reprimanded Stafford for engaging in a fistfight with an opposing lawyer in a courtroom.

The latest complaint comes as the Ohio Supreme Court is investigating reports of delays caused by lawyers and judges in Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court. The high court is expected to release its findings by the end of the year.

Dude was reprimanded on prior occasion:
Cuyahoga County Bar vs. Gonzalez/Stafford (2000), 89 Ohio St.3d 470.] The board found that in January 1998, respondents appeared in the chambers of Magistrate Barbara Porzio for the purpose of negotiations before resuming trial on a domestic relations visitation schedule. During a heated discussion, respondent Gonzalez called respondent Stafford ?a piece of shit,? and Stafford responded bycalling Gonzalez ?a total asshole.? These remarks and the demeanor of the respondents caused the magistrate to call for a court deputy.

The respondents left the magistrate?s chambers and walked into the courtroom, where they stood chest to chest and continued to shout at each other. The panel concluded that by their conduct respondents violated DR 7-106(C)(6) (in appearing in a professional capacity, a lawyer shall not engage inundignified or discourteous conduct which is degrading to a tribunal) and recommended that each respondent be publicly reprimanded. MOYER, C.J., DOUGLAS, RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY, PFEIFER, COOKand LUNDBERG STRATTON, JJ., concur.

For more on the delays, read the comments. I'm going to hit some tennis; just watching Connors/Borg on Tennis channel circa 1979 so I'm all inspired and stuff :)

PS: I had a rude attorney try to goad me into hitting him but I didn't take the bait. Luis Alcalde, para. 4.

Full post as published by Chris King's 1st Amendment Page on November 30, 2008 (boomark / email).