Disbar Corrupt Attorney: How to Get Suspended or Disbarred

[newjerseyrunner]

How would one go about getting a corrupt attorney suspended or disbarred? My wife was just told by a prosecutor that she must hire a lawyer for her traffic ticket, and they wouldn't even hear the case without one. It's a simple traffic ticket, so I know that this is not true, I'm not even sure there is ever a case where you can't represent yourself.

I looked into who the prosecutor is, and of course, his firm defends people for exactly this. So from where I'm looking, it seems like he's using his public position to lie to the public to get himself more business. I have a recording of him telling her this. Who do I send this information to? The ABA's website was terribly unhelpful.

 

[StatGuy2000]

OK let me get this straight. The prosecutor is telling your wife that she must hire a lawyer for her traffic ticket (the operative word is "must", not "recommend"), and that this prosecutor is a member of a law firm (i.e. not a public prosecutor)? Aren't all prosecutors supposed to be public (i.e. paid by tax-payer)?

 

[newjerseyrunner]

Yes, he said she must, not recommended. She even said specifically to him that she wanted to represent herself and he said no. She had a court date today, and didn't even get to talk to the judge. The prosecutor sent her away to come back at an unspecified time in the future (I guess we'll get a notice?)

I'm not sure how prosecutors work. I know they are public servants, but I don't think there is any restriction on them doing other things. I would assume most prosecutors are attorneys, I kinda think they have to be. This one lists specifically on his website that he's both private and public: Website link deleted by Moderator. It says he's been an active lawyer for criminal and municipal court, which is the traffic court, since 1995, and a prosecutor in my town since 2005. He's not just a member of the law firm, he's a partner. It looks like it's his father's firm.

 

[Fervent Freyja]

I really doubt one instance would get him barred. It takes quite of bit of evidence that shows a lawyer has been consistently unfit over a number of years. The entire business of defending criminals means that there's bound to have corrupt lawyers that commit crimes- uncommon but the entire legal system expects that to happen. Few lawyers would have a practice at all if it were that easy to penalize them- think about all the false accusations that would be made. Even their clients could make false claims as a way to get out of their legal situation with the courts. It's almost as difficult as taking a medical doctors license to practice away!

 

[newjerseyrunner]

Possible, but it's not just any lawyer, it's one on the public's payroll. It's also not a he-said / she-said type situation, I have a recording.

It's like if a patient goes to a doctor complaining about a sore throat and the doctor telling them that they're required to pay for an MRI that he just happens to own.

 

[CalcNerd]

Your name seems to indicate you are a citizen of which state? I lived in New Jersey for a decade and was not a fan of your judicial system. I too, had an experience with driving through the wrong neighborhood with a pickup worth a few $k vs the neighborhood average was +$50K cause it was a shortcut to work. A local cop with a $250 speeding ticket put a stop to THAT! and I wasn't speeding. Although I did get to plea down to below 15 mph so it was a 2 point infraction, pretty DAMN nice of them! . And I had other run ins with the revenue generating agents (cops), as NJ hires one for every street corner it seems. They HAVE to feed themselves...
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Could I have fought this? Probably, but it would take a real lawyer and significant amounts of time. And $2K later and a week of lost work or used vacation, maybe a win, maybe...
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My own advice. Pay.. Then make sure your story is well heard and this fellow gets a great amount of PR and all of his county court house buddies and his esteemed law firm get to share the limelight too.
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Sadly, in NJ all of this still might not matter. I will refrain from expressing all of my feelings aside from saying this, after 10 years, I moved out rather that deal with all of the issues you face in New Joisey.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Like medical advice, PF should avoid giving legal advice. Please view this page for more information. http://www.dmv.org/traffic-tickets.php I bet you can get more information from your cities officials, local DMV or police office.