Hello everyone and welcome to this Ethics Alert blog which will discuss the recent New Jersey Supreme Court opinion which suspended a lawyer for 3 months for making outrageous sarcastic and sophomoric statements and e-mails to opposing counsel and making false statements to a judge. The disciplinary opinion is: In the Matter of Jared E. Stolz, Docket No. DRB 13-331 (September 4, 2014) and the opinion is here: https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/drb/decisions/Stolz_13_331.pdf
According to the opinion, the lawyer admitted making the inappropriate comments in e-mails and a fax, but claimed that his misstatements to the judge were due to his busy schedule which included vacations to the Dominican Republic and Ireland, where he played golf with his father. The Bar Complaint referred to and quoted e-mails and a facsimile that the lawyer sent to opposing counsel in 2009 and 2010 as follows:
“Don’t feel you have to email me daily and let me know just how smart you are.”
“Did you get beat up in school a lot? Because you whine like a little girl.”
“Why don’t you grow a pair?”
“This will acknowledge receipt of your numerous Emails, faxes and letters…. In response thereto, Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla.”
The Bar Complaint also alleged that, after a motion hearing December 2010, the lawyer and opposing counsel had physical contact. Opposing counsel told the lawyer not to touch him and the lawyer replied: “Why would I want to touch a fag like you?”
At a hearing on the disciplinary matter, the lawyer apologized for the statements and e-mails to opposing counsel. “It was not considerate…I have no explanation. I should be disciplined for it.” He called the statements “inexcusable, undignified and “venomous”; however, he denied that he lied to a judge when he said he never received certifications supporting a requested court order. He acknowledged at the hearing that he had received the certifications but said he had not seen them at the time that he made the misstatement because he was frequently out of the office during the period in question and he had to respond to 10 to 15 motions in one day.
According to the lawyer’s testimony:
“I neglected my files, I played too much golf, I went to Punta Cana with my family all within two months. Was it wrong? I don’t know. This is the lifestyle that I’ve chosen, the practice I’ve chosen because I worked at Methfessel & Werbel for 15 years in a cubical [sic] rising to managing director. I didn’t want that anymore. I want to play golf. I do insurance work. I missed it. I screwed up. I had no motivation to lie to the judge about this particular thing.”
“Should I have done things differently? Absolutely. Did I learn a lesson about this? Absolutely. After this, and I got that I now have hired two other attorneys, they review things, I review everything that comes in. Am I going to get lazy again and play more golf? I hope so. But I certainly did not intentionally lie.”
The NJ District Ethics Committee reviewed the matter and found that the lawyer did not make any intentional misrepresentations but that he may have been sloppy and recommended an admonition. The Review Board recommended a three-month suspension. The New Jersey Supreme Court agreed with the Review Board and suspended the lawyer for three months.
According to the opinion: “The sarcastic and sophomoric comments made in the emails and fax set forth in count one demonstrated a failure to treat (opposing counsel) with ‘courtesy and consideration.’” “The wildly inappropriate – indeed, discriminatory – comments (calling opposing counsel a ‘fag’) … also demonstrated a lack of courtesy and consideration.” “Although it may be true, as the DEC observed, that respondent had no reason to lie about the non-receipt of the certifications, his actions were so contrary to what a reasonable attorney would have done, if confronted with the same situation, that his story cannot be believed.”
Bottom line: Lawyers beware: If you are going to “get lazy and play golf”, try to avoid being negligent, making “misstatements” to a judge, making excuses, and making “sophomoric and sarcastic” statements to opposing counsel, especially if you have been practicing for almost 24 years.
Let’s be careful out there.
Disclaimer: this Ethics Alert is not an advertisement and does not contain any legal advice and the comments herein should not be relied upon by anyone who reads it.
Joseph A. Corsmeier, Esquire
Law Office of Joseph A. Corsmeier, P.A.
2454 McMullen Booth Road, Suite 431
Clearwater, Florida 33759
Office (727) 799-1688
Fax (727) 799-1670
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www.jac-law.com
