GROWL.......

[mama_kestrel]

I am so damned angry I can't see straight.

There is an attorney in Indianapolis who has never been competent at his job, who has always been a bit slimy and less than honorable and is now, if I am reading correctly between the lines, likely to be charged with child molesting. Real sweetheart.

About 14 years back there was a case in Indiana in which a trial judge ordered Pagan parents not to "expose their child to non-mainstream religions". No religious argument between the parents; it was all the judge's own idea. I hadn't been involved in the divorce, but I took the case the Court of Appeals, which appropriately drop-kicked the trial judge's order. It was, at it turned out, the last case I ever handled, and I have always considered it an appropriate swan song, and been very proud of it. It made international news at the time, to my shock.

So now recently Mr. Skeevy has been claiming that he handled that appeal and won it. That he's doing so got back to me by accident. The person who told me said "that was you, not him? That makes a lot more sense!" I'm glad to know she sees it that way.

I don't know that there's anything I can do about it, because at this point it's all either in private contexts or in a sealed juvenile proceeding. I'll look into possibilities in the morning. But for the attorney I most despise personally to claim credit for the achievement of which I am most proud? I am LIVID!

Comments

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>About 14 years back there was a case in Indiana in which a trial judge ordered Pagan parents not to "expose their child to non-mainstream religions". No religious argument between the parents; it was all the judge's own idea.<<

I remember that.

>> It was, at it turned out, the last case I ever handled, and I have always considered it an appropriate swan song, and been very proud of it.<<

Didn't know that was you, but awesome.

>> It made international news at the time, to my shock. <<

;) You're welcome. I helped with the activism end of that. Gosh, I don't even remember all the places, it's been so long. I'm sure I wrote about it and passed the word all over.

>>I don't know that there's anything I can do about it<<

You should certainly be able to nail him for fraud.

However, there's probably a better way. Contact whoever issues law licenses in your state, and tell them he's lying. Point them to the relevant case. If they choose to investigate, they should be able to access the material without you needing to do it. And you might like to point out that if he's lying about this, he's quite probably lying about other things. How much of the professional credentials he told them are even true? And do they want to back that? Perhaps not.

Re: Well ...

[mama_kestrel]

>>;) You're welcome. I helped with the activism end of that. Gosh, I don't even remember all the places, it's been so long. I'm sure I wrote about it and passed the word all over.<<

LMAO! I should have known. :D The other person involved in spreading the word was the then-spouse and still-friend of one of my fledglings. He was, at the time, an investigative reporter. (He's still a reporter, and a damned good one; he just takes fewer risks because now he has kids.) He asked me for an exclusive, which I cheerfully gave him. The story was picked up by, IIRC, AP, and took off as if jet propelled. The phone call that startled me most was from a cousin from Haifa who was a journalist there. "Aliza?" "Oh, hi Shoshana." "Wait - this American lawyer is you?" "Yep!" Talk about small-world-itis.

>>You should certainly be able to nail him for fraud.<<

Not without involving people I don't want to damage. Unlike him, I'm ethical even when I'm angry.

>>Contact whoever issues law licenses in your state, and tell them he's lying. Point them to the relevant case. If they choose to investigate, they should be able to access the material without you needing to do it. And you might like to point out that if he's lying about this, he's quite probably lying about other things. How much of the professional credentials he told them are even true? And do they want to back that? Perhaps not.><

His credentials for licensing were verified before he was admitted. He attended law school in Indiana, and sat (and passed) the bar exam. He even had to pass a "moral fitness" interview; everyone has to. (Mine, in 1982, had me gritting my teeth; my examiner was a master mason who had opinions about women's proper sphere. But I passed. Probably helped that I was 23, very sweet, and looked 17.)

I'm planning to call the director of the Disciplinary Commission, whom I know, this week, to ask him what my options might be without doing harm to innocent bystanders.

[siliconshaman]

Court records should have at least who handled which trial.. hell, newspapers at the time might. I recall hearing about the case myself, and I know your name is on the tip of my tongue despite it being many years ago.

Guy's an idiot thinking he can get away with such an easily verifiable lie. If I were you, I'd savage the twit.. publicly if at all possible. Certainly professionally too, because I'm pretty sure that's a breach of ethics. Hmm. Evidence that speaks as to character, for his up-coming trial perhaps?

[mama_kestrel]

>>Court records should have at least who handled which trial.. hell, newspapers at the time might.<<

Oh they do, no question. He's just counting on no one bothering to look it up.

>>I recall hearing about the case myself, and I know your name is on the tip of my tongue despite it being many years ago.<<

Thanks. Oddly enough, it helps. The people who matter don't even know who this ass is - but they do know who I am. (And it's Alisa Cohen.)

I really do want to savage him professionally, in public. It's unquestionably a breach of professional ethics, one among many. But in the long run, what people will remember is hearing my name in connection with his, but not necessarily why. That's the last thing I want. Names have power; I do not want to give him any of mine.

I think he'll probably dig himself quite enough of a hole on his own, but y'know, he's just given me incentive to help push him in.

[technoshaman]

If you can't manage to give him a good shove by ordinary means... *inscrutable look* But here's to doing this the easy way, for once. "Wups, your bar license was not renewed. Looks like you're out a career, dipstick!"