Patterico's Pontifications

5/14/2009

Recommendation: Anti-War Vandal to Have Legal License Suspended

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 9:34 pm



Remember Jay Grodner, the Chicago attorney who keyed a Marine’s car as an anti-war statement? An Illinois disciplinary board has recommended a one-year suspension of his license to practice law. (Thanks to R.E.)

27 Responses to “Recommendation: Anti-War Vandal to Have Legal License Suspended”

  1. No ass kicking, no justice.

    jcurtis (13b799)

  2. As much as I would like this not to be the case, I think his one-year suspension was a result of his lying to and/or neglecting his clients rather than his act of vandalism.

    You have to do something pretty heinous in Illinois to get your license pulled for a whole year, and keying someone’s car doesn’t hit that level. Were that his only infraction, he probably would have received a censure at the most.

    Greg (55261f)

  3. He got some good public humiliation out of the car keying at the time. I don’t recall any airing of the other disciplinary matters unfortunately.

    daleyrocks (5d22c0)

  4. Well, Greg, reading the linked report, not cooperating in the investigation was probably the worse factor.

    This guy definitely got some serious crimping of his life from a petty act of juvenile political expression. Does not break my heart.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  5. He should be weeding the center divider for the next 2 months, then on probation for three years, and finally prohibited from “possessing keys”.
    I’ve met taggers (in jail) who can’t have a felt pen without getting violated and have been sent off to riding the green bus back to prison, so fair is fair

    SteveG (c99c5c)

  6. This guy was such scum.

    What amazes me is that some on the left still persist in saying that stories of troops being spat on or otherwise harassed were fabrications. That’s almost as bad as actually doing it.

    Juan (4cdfb7)

  7. Hardly outstanding. He got off EASY. What a track record, from the vote (petition) fraud on Page 12 to defrauding his own clients. Keying the car just brought all this to light.

    Scum he is, and he should find another line of work. Travesty that he can soon continue practicing ‘law’ (such as it is in Chicago and our nation).

    Probably be a political office holder some day.

    ManlyDad (e3dfe1)

  8. the way this reads to me, it’s for “at least” a year:

    “For the foregoing reasons, we recommend that Respondent, Jay Robert Grodner, be suspended for a period of one year and until further order of the court.”

    but then again, i’m not a lawyer and i didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night. %-)

    redc1c4 (9c4f4a)

  9. Sorry, I can’t help but feel that the actions of a professional licensing board are silly to begin with. I am a licensed Professional Engineer in NY. When I got my license, I looked at what penalties were doled out for “violations”.

    Get a DUI? Well, that carries a $1000 fine and a license suspension for 1 year. The license suspension is supended.

    Do a no-show building inspection (sign the papers that everything is okey-dokey without visiting the site)? A $1000 fine and a licence suspension for 1 year. The license suspension is suspended.

    Fail to keep current on child support? Guess? How does a $1000 fine and a 1 year license suspension, with the license suspension suspended for 1 year.

    The cases that resulted in they guy agreeing to turn in his license? Someone convicted of 2nd degree murder, and another guy for possession of heroin. Oh yeah, they also got $5000 fines.

    Now the case in point was in IL, and I’m talking NY. But don’t be surprised when the guy appeals and gets the license suspension suspended if he keeps his nose clean for a year.

    Dr. K (a0c210)

  10. It looks like he had already abandoned his license. ARDC’s Lawyer Search reads: “Not authorized to practice law as attorney is not currently registered with ARDC and has not demonstrated required MCLE compliance – Last Registered Year: 2007”

    nk (a1896a)

  11. surprised anything happened to him. what a farce.

    ktr (9277d5)

  12. He should be weeding the center divider for the next 2 months

    Nice idea, but I actually like the idea of the idiot having to weed the Marine’s family’s backyard instead – every week, rain or shine.

    Dmac (1ddf7e)

  13. After reading Dr. K’s comment, I can tell that CA has nothing on NY. Only one of the listed violations has anything to do with the actual practice of your license.

    It looks like NY is using their regulations to generate income as opposed to regulating the licensee. Democrats at their finest.

    David in San Diego (23f226)

  14. First off, his car should be keyed over and over again.

    Second, he should be deported to Zimbabwe in a year.

    PCD (02f8c1)

  15. The going rate for a lawyer these days for a misdemeanor like that is $1,000.00 for a plea and $3,000.00 for a trial. He could have beat the rap had he hired a lawyer and made a jury demand. The Marine was being deployed to Iraq. He decided to plead guilty instead and pay the Marine $2,500.00(?) in restitution. It was only a car, after all, and it could be fixed for that much.

    It also sounds like he had been losing it at the time, and maybe before, professionally and personally.

    nk (a1896a)

  16. Ok, the Marine was no saint, either. He went in asking $2,500.00 and Judge O’Malley, a former Marine, with no love for the defendant, ordered $600.00.

    nk (a1896a)

  17. First off, I read the legal proceeding against this cretin. He should have been disbarred if they wanted to protect the reputation of the legal profession.

    Second, he got off light with the Marine. Persionally I think Sharia law ought to be practiced upon car vandals. Maybe a hand cut off as punishment.

    Third, what is this cretin doing in New Mexico? What damage and crimes is he committing there?

    PCD (02f8c1)

  18. Ok, the Marine was no saint, either. He went in asking $2,500.00 and Judge O’Malley, a former Marine, with no love for the defendant, ordered $600.00.

    Comment by nk — 5/15/2009 @ 7:18 am

    Nice try, but it looks to me that the 2500 was just the count, not what the Marine was asking for. The car had already been repaired and your beloved Grodner probably paid for the repairs at an earlier time. The 600 seems to be above and beyond the repairs.

    Here is something I found from a site called “band of mothers”, which is a site for Marines’ Moms.

    Long story short, he has to pay $600 to a Semper Fi Fund (Marine [Corps] fund for the wounded) and he has to report for Social Services probation once per month for a year. Judge told him if he screws up and misses any he will be arrested and will serve 364 days in jail! He told Grodner that the reason the courtroom was so full was because Sgt. McNulty belongs to The Band of Brothers and this is what he can expect when he mistreats a Marine (not his exact words but the same meaning)…

    He really admonished him and the part I really liked was when the judge made Grodner admit he keyed Sgt. McNulty’s car. He also explained to him about military plates and how people pay extra because the monies go into a fund for scholarships. I cried but they were tears of joy!!!!!!!!!!!

    Sgt. McNulty’s damages were $2400 but his car is fixed and just like The Band of Brothers, he asks that this creep give $600 to a fund for his Brothers. God Bless The Band of Brothers. This is a story the whole world should read about.

    jcurtis (a9c74e)

  19. He is so self righteous he will key a vets car, but he won’t pay his child support. Go figure

    Chris G (d8feb0)

  20. No better friends, no worse enemies.

    What, you thought it was just talk?

    mojo (8096f2)

  21. […] Chicago Attorney who Keyed Marines Car faces one year suspension of law license. Previously, he was forced to donate $600 to a Marine Corps charity. The douchebag is still getting off way-y-y-y-y-y too easy. […]

    Friday Potpourri « Teh Resistance Blog (45e6e8)

  22. Let’s see: from Chicago, check. Disreputable scumbucket, check; caught red-handed and tried to boldface it out, check……looks like we’ll be lucky if he doesn’t end up with an administration appointment.

    cthulhu (217ae8)

  23. Note that the suspension recommendation is for 1 year AND until further order of the court. In other words, he doesn’t automatically get his license back at the end of the year. He has to convince the court that he has learned his lesson, first, and he’s not even allowed to try to do that until the end of the year.

    Note to lawyers: NEVER ignore the disciplinary counsel, unless you are sure you never want to practice law again in your life.

    PatHMV (edfb94)

  24. Well, Greg, reading the linked report, not cooperating in the investigation was probably the worse factor.

    As always, it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up that lands such people into deep trouble.

    Paul (creator of "Staunch Brayer") (1284e4)

  25. This was step three of a five-step process. The Hearing Board’s decision has to go the Review Board next, and then to the Illinois Supreme Court which will actually order the discipline. The Supreme Court does not always follow the ARDC’s recommendation.

    Also, another factor in reinstatement, besides rehabilitation, is restitution. He has to pay any money he owes the clients he cheated and he also has to pay the ARDC’s costs is prosecuting this case.

    But I think he decided to give up his license more than a year ago, when he did not pay the pittance of an annual registration fee, or obtain the quite easily obtainable ten hours of CLE.

    nk (a1896a)


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