An accusation of sexual harassment arose from a women in the office of former Colorado district attorney, Myrl Serra. Initially, he declined any sexual wrongdoing, and claimed that the woman was lying. However, his word did not have much power at that point, because this accusation came after he was disbarred in December after pleading guilty and receiving conviction for several criminal charges.

He committed a variety of different crimes that encouraged his dis-barrment from position as Colorado District Attorney. He was engaged in a relationship with a married woman. He also had various promiscuous relationships with other women throughout the years. Apparently, not very successful ones either. Serra’s wrongdoings range from sharing case information with his married girlfriend to receiving restraining order requests from a variety of women. Each of these unique in nature, but going back to sexual misconduct.

He pled guilty to all of the charges brought up in court, because he had no evidence to prove his innocence. His various crimes include at least three different victims. The sentencing for his guilty plea that included crimes of unlawful sexual contact and criminal extortion is scheduled for next week. At that time he will have to pay the punishment for the various crimes committed.

• Disbarred Attorney Caught in Madoff Web
• Disbarred Former Counsel for the White House Now Teaching Ethics
• Layoffs for Sacramento DA Office
• Ex Manhattan DA Joins Law Firm
• More Cuts at the San Joaquin DA’s Office

Say, Buffy, let us invest our wealth with the fellow who was disbarred for stealing funds!

Arthur G. Nadel, 76, made his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge in the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. He turned himself in after spending two weeks on the lam. Next he will be charged in New York’s Southern District, where he faces securities and mail fraud allegations brought by prosecutors who say more than $200 million is missing.

Nadel, prominent in Sarasota, Florida social and philanthropic circles, claimed to investors and partners that returns on investments in two groups of funds he managed from 1999 through 2007 averaged more than 20% per year. Sound familiar?

FBI Special Agent Kevin G. Riordan tied Nadel’s flight to the publicity from the December arrest of Bernie Madoff in a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme. Nadel fled after a business partner, concerned about the Madoff affair, asked Nagel to audit the funds he ran.

Nadel left a note telling his family he would not return, and advising his wife to get a hold of certain funds before it was too late. He also said he might kill himself.

Nadel advised six funds divided into two groups. Hundreds of investors put $210 million into one group, several gave $60 million to Nadel to invest in the other. But by the end of 2008, there was less than $125,000 left in the two groups.

A 1957 graduate of New York University School of Law, Nadel was admitted to the New York bar in 1958, but lost his license to practice for taking client escrow funds.

Photo via May Blog.

• 8,000 Claims in Madoff Fiasco?
• Man Accused of Massive Ponzi Scheme to Remain in Jail to Await Trial
• New York Law School Files Investor Suit Against Merkin
• Madoff’s (Alleged) Crimes Hit Charities Hard
• Madoff Charged in $50 Billion-with-a-”B” Fraud, Sued by SEC [UPDATE]

Jack Thompson is hoping that the United States Supreme Court will consider his appeal of the Florida Supreme Court ruling that disbarred him for life.

In mid-December the anti-game attorney requested from the U.S. Superme Court an extension of a Christmas Eve deadline in which to file what is known as a petition for a writ of certiorari.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has granted Thompson’s request, meaning that the embattled anti-game violence advocate will have until February 18th to petition for cert with the Supreme Court.

I’m not surprised that Thomas would back Thompson — they’re both famous, media-friendly lawyers, terrible at their jobs, who subscribe to the dumbass Sarah Palin wing of the Conservative movement.

Via GamePolitics.

• Chief Justice Roberts to Speak at the University of Alabama
• Ginsburg: Supreme Court Job Available “Soon”
• Disbarred Attorney Caught in Madoff Web
• Myrl Serra Disbarred For A Felony And Misdemenor Harassment Charges
• The Supreme Court Decides the Constitutionality of Obamacare

In a rare 3-2 decision, a five-judge panel of the New York Appellate Division, 1st Department, agreed that Steven J. Lever “brought shame to himself and to this State’s Bar” by using the Internet “to prey on minors for purposes of sexual gratification.” They ruled the conduct required “a significant sanction.”

But without a clear New York precedent, the judges could not agree on the appropriate punishment.

The majority, looking at similar cases from other states, cited the “substantial and credible mitigation evidence” in confirming a hearing panel’s recommended three-year suspension.

From the beginning, respondent has admitted responsibility for his actions and has taken ‘uncommon’ efforts to rehabilitate himself. After his arrest, he voluntarily entered sex offender treatment and all evidence in the record supports the therapist’s opinions that such therapy appears to be working and that the likelihood of respondent repeating the misconduct was ‘low.’

In a vehement dissent, two justices argued for disbarment:

Because I believe that a convicted and registered sex offender has forfeited the privilege of admission to the bar and the elevated status of the officer of the court, I must respectfully take the unusual step in a disciplinary proceeding and dissent. I believe that any penalty short of disbarment would not comport with the standards to which a member of the bar should adhere. I do not believe that we can reconcile the status of registered sex offender with that of a member of the bar in good standing.

Lever, who was a patents & intellectual property associate at Kirkland & Ellis, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1999 and was admitted to the New York bar in 2000.

In July 2004, using his law firm computer, Lever logged onto a chat room for “older men and younger women.” He consequently exchanged sexual emails and phone calls with a “13-year-old female” who turned out to be a police officer. He attempted to meet the “girl” in October 2004.

In November 2005, Lever pleaded guilty to the single misdemeanor charge and was sentenced to six years’ probation and certified as a level-one sexual offender.

Via The New York Law Journal.

• Law Firm Kirkland Ellis Commits $2.75 Million to Stanford Law School to Fund Scholars’ Program and Annual Forum
• New York Gubernatorial Aide to Join Kirkland & Ellis
• New York to Recover Exhorbitant Fees From Scrooge Attorney
• NY AG Sues BofA, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase over Mortgage Fraud
• Child Slayer Slays Self

Rosenthal piled up millions of dollars in fees with the approval of his former law school pal, disgraced ex-Surrogate Court Judge Michael Feinberg.

On December 4th, the state Appellate Division disbarred Feinberg, and suspended Rosenthal from practicing law for two years.

From 1992 to 2002, Judge Feinberg awarded Rosenthal nearly $9 million in fees. He regularly awarded his buddy 8% of the estates’ assets, while lawyers in other boroughs typically received 6% or less.

Instead of filing the required affidavits, Rosenthal submitted fee requests on Post-it notes.

• Pedophile Lawyer Suspended for 3 Years
• Illinois Legislature to Consider Blagojevich Impeachment
• Myrl Serra Disbarred For A Felony And Misdemenor Harassment Charges
• Yoss LLP To Dissolve At Month’s End
• Gov. Paterson Finally Signs the Bill that Will Raise NY Judges’ Benefits

Author Bob Bennett says he waited until after the election to publish the list, so as not to appear “political.”

The top choices:

Alberto Gonzales, former US Attorney General

At the time of our second year, Alberto Gonzales has failed to interest any law firms in hiring him anywhere in the United States. Gonzales has had no full time job since his resignation….

Former Justice Department officials working under Alberto Gonzales have been accused of breaking the law by letting the Bush Administration’s politics dictate the hiring of prosecutors, immigration judges, and other career government lawyers. …the specter of a Texas Disbarment proceeding is also a possibility.

Charles Sebesta, former Burleson County, Texas DA

Sebesta stands accused of orchestrating transcript changes during the trial of Thomas Torlincasi, whose company donated the logs for the Aggie Bonfire that collapsed in 1998. Apparently, he would sit down with the court reporter after the trials, which happened to be a woman he knew personally, and re-wrote what they thought was relevant from the trial hearings.

Mary Lacy, Boulder County, Colorado DA:

The name Mary Lacy falls into the category of one of the worst prosecutors placed in office over the last decade. The Boulder County District Attorney was the lead prosecutor in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case which has been ongoing for the last twelve years…. 

 Lacy was accused of a cover up due to the poor investigation … [She] has tried explaining that she had doubts that the Ramsey parents ever took part in the murder. To justify that statement may prove difficult since her investigation clearly showed intent to blame the parents of an entanglement in a murder which was based on very circumstantial evidence and absolutely no real proof of who committed the crime.

Read the whole list.

Via MarketWatch.

• Myrl Serra Disbarred For A Felony And Misdemenor Harassment Charges
• Disbarred Attorney Caught in Madoff Web
• GOP “Golden Boy” Joins Bracewell & Giuliani
• Jack Thompson Hopes SCOTUS Will Save His Legal Career; Has One Vote So Far (Guess Whose?)
• Pedophile Lawyer Suspended for 3 Years