Last Minute Gift Idea: Judge McKoski's Book

As loyal followers of the Northern Law Blog already know, retired judge Raymond J. McKoski has been writing posts on this blog for more than two years. Judge McKoski also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the John Marshall Law School.

I just learned that Judge McKoski has authored a book on judicial ethics. The book is titled "Judges in Street Clothes: Acting Ethically Off-the-Bench." The book is available on Amazon and at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago.

HERE is a link to the Amazon listing. This book would make a great last minute gift for the legal eagles out there!

Bad for Business: Lawyer Must Tell Clients, “I am a Crook.”

A Wisconsin judge sentenced a lawyer to probation and five days in jail for the offense of criminal contempt. Because the contempt charge was based on the lawyer’s misrepresentations to a client about a plea agreement, the judge required as a condition of probation that the lawyer provide a copy of the contempt charge and a letter to each of his clients. The letter stated:

I am a crook. I am a cheat. I am a thief. I am a liar. I was convicted of a crime on November 9, 2015. My conviction resulted from my intentional choice to sell my own clients down the river and then trying to cover it up. You may not hire me or have me or have me legally represent you in any fashion until you read the Criminal Complaint and Judgment of Conviction in my Outagamie County Wisconsin Case no. 15-CM878. This disclosure is required as one of the conditions of my probation.

In a subsequent disciplinary proceeding brought by the Wisconsin Office of Lawyer Regulation, the hearing referee recommended a one-year suspension. The Wisconsin Supreme Court adopted the referee’s recommendation and suspended the lawyer’s license for one-year, effective January 26, 2018. The dissenting justices believed that the one-year suspension was “too light” for the lawyer’s “egregious” misconduct, including his repeated lies to his client, the police, and the court; falsifying an email; and “apparently forg[ing] a judge’s signature on a fabricated court order.”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s opinion detailing the contempt proceeding and the disciplinary action is available here.

Complaining About Judges

Effective January 1, 2018, House Bill 3054 becomes law. As enacted, the law requires the clerk of every county to post in common areas of the courthouse, a notice “that a person may file a complaint against the judge that includes contact information for the Judicial Inquiry Board.” To my knowledge, Illinois is the only state with such a requirement. The Tennessee legislature rejected a similar proposal.

It seems that a natural corollary to HB 3054 would be legislation requiring legislators to post notices in common areas of the State Capital Building and in their offices advising constituents how to file a complaint against them. Down the road, lawyers might be appropriate subjects of parallel legislation.

A Toast to House Bill 0494

House Bill 0494 would amend the Liquor Control Act to permit restaurants to serve alcohol to 18, 19, and 20 year olds as long as the underage drinker was “under the direct supervision and approval of his or her parents or parent or those persons standing in loco parentis.”

The primary sponsor of the bill is quoted as saying that if parents “want to let [their children] have a small glass of wine or a taste of wine, and I don’t think it’s a concept that a lot of parents would have too much concern with.” Of course, nothing in the proposed legislation limits the alcohol served to wine or a small glass of wine. An 18 year old could order a scotch on the rocks (make that a double), and then another, and maybe one more for the road. Unfortunately, not all parents, or those standing in the place of parents, have the good sense presumed by House Bill 0494. And let’s hope that “persons standing in loco parentis” does not include the 21 year old brother of the 18 year old bellying up to the restaurant table.

Maybe there is some overriding need to encourage the use of alcohol by those under 21, but I don’t see it. 

KCBA Seminar Materials

I am speaking at the KCBA Commercial Law Seminar this afternoon on citations to discover assets. I just received late notice that my materials were not copied for the attendees. HERE is a PDF of my handout. It is also embedded below. Thanks.

  Citation Outline - January 18, 2017 by Mike Huseman on Scribd

Seventh Circuit Hangs Up on Robocalls

On January 3, 2017, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck a blow for telephone tranquility. In Patriotic Veterans v. Zoeller, the court upheld an Indiana law forbidding recorded phone messages placed by dialing machines unless the subscriber has consented to receiving robocalls or the recorded message is preceded by a live operator who obtains the subscriber’s consent to transmit the message.

The court found that the law was a valid time, place, and manner restriction and did not disfavor political speech or otherwise violate the First Amendment. The opinion appears to reflect the judges’ personal familiarity with prerecorded telephone calls:

No one can deny the legitimacy of the state’s goal: Preventing the phone (at home or in one’s pocket) from frequently ringing with unwanted calls. Every call uses some of the phone owner’s time and mental energy, both of which are precious. Most members of the public want to limit calls, especially cellphone calls, to family and acquaintances, and to get their political information (not to mention their advertisements) in other ways.

Illinois has a much less restrictive statute governing automated telephone calls.