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Monday, January 18, 2010
Ind. Courts - "A public reprimand might be the only sanction attorney Jennifer Abrell faces for revealing information about a client represented by her law firm"
So begins this story in today's Muncie Star-Press, reported by Rick Yencer. More:
That's what a hearing officer for the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission has recommended in the case of a Muncie woman who complained that Abrell, president of the Muncie Community School Board, told friends about a domestic dispute involving the woman's estranged husband and children before the couple eventually reconciled.Howard Circuit Court Judge Lynn Murray conducted a closed hearing last month on the complaint and issued recommendation that will be considered by the court. * * *
Murray found the failure to maintain client confidences by an attorney was "a serious violation of ethics that undermines the heart of an attorney-client relationship." The judge recommended a public reprimand, recognizing Abrell had no prior record of discipline and had been cooperative in the investigation.
The Supreme Court could decide within a matter of weeks on what sanction Abrell faces.
The case represented an issue of first impression about whether, and at what point, confidentially attaches communications between individuals not in an attorney-client relationship.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on January 18, 2010 06:08 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts