Opinion

Cincinnati Bar Assn. v. Kellogg

  • 126 Ohio St. 3d 360
  • 2010 Ohio 3285
Court
Ohio Supreme Court
Filed
Jul 20, 2010
Status
Published
Author
O'Donnell
On the bench
Pfeifer, Stratton, Lanzinger, Cupp, O'Connor, O'Donnell, Brown
Cited by
12 cases

The opinion

O’Donnell, J.,

dissenting.

{¶ 27} I respectfully dissent. The appropriate sanction for this level of misconduct is disbarment. As the majority opinion recounts, respondent did not plead guilty but rather contested the charges and was found guilty by a jury of two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of money laundering involving $14 million, and conspiracy to obstruct official proceedings before two federal agencies, the Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration.

{¶ 28} The federal sentencing guidelines suggest a prison sentence for such conduct of 19 to 24 years. Respondent served less than one year. Despite mitigation, our role is to protect the public from lawyers who fail to adhere to the highest ethical standards, not coddle offending attorneys. Respondent’s conduct is the epitome of disrespect for the system of justice he swore to uphold. Accordingly, I would disbar respondent for this conduct.

O’Connor, J., concurs in the foregoing opinion.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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