Summary: Joel Brodsky, a highly aggressive attorney towards all, has finally be hit with steep sanctions that include taking an ethics course and attending anger management training.
Attorney Joel Brodsky is in trouble. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall finally slapped the highly litigious Brodsky with a punishment for his misconduct. The former attorney for murderer Drew Peterson allegedly engaged in “unprofessional, contemptuous, and antagonistic behavior,” even resorting to making “false accusations and inappropriate diatribes” and “acts of intimidation and harassment,” culminating “in an unhinged attack,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
Kendall sanctioned the attorney for his bad behavior in the courtroom, including falsely accusing an expert witness of inventing a son. She wrote in her ruling that if she did not punish him, it “would serve to undermine the integrity of this court.” She ordered him to pay a fine of $50,000, take an ethics course, and attend anger management training. She also referred him to a panel to decide whether to ban or suspend him from practicing in federal court again.
Kendall was most concerned with the fact that his previous appearances before judges, including herself, had done nothing to calm his behavior. She noted that roughly 75 percent of the 200 legal filings in the case were over his behavior. Even his belated courtroom apology in July was “an apology in name only.” She wrote, “That stops here. …Respect for the court, the rule of law, and lawyers themselves is essential to an orderly society.”
His previous misconduct includes making ableist and homophobic comments about a rival attorney, forging a dead man’s signature in a probate case, and calling an opponent a “liar” and a “moron.”
His attorney Joseph Lopez, also known as “The Shark,” said they may seek to reduce the fine or even just appeal it. He made it clear that this does not immediately affect Brodsky’s license to practice. Lopez said, “He’s shocked and he’s surprised and he’s confident that it will all look different when it is over. I don’t think he’s crazy – he just represents his clients very aggressively.”
Brodsky is currently representing Robert Rialmo, a Chicago police officer involved in a high-profile shooting incident. He will continue to represent Railmo and his other clients.
Do you think Brodsky’s behavior is acceptable or does it cross the line? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
To learn more about Brodsky’s behavior, read these articles:
- Federal Judge Losing Patience with Joel Brodsky
- Drew Peterson Removes Mistrial Request
- Drew Peterson Sentenced to 38 Years in Prison
Photo: patch.com