Alcohol Problems Lead To Practice Problems

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has approved a two-year consent suspension, retroactive to a previously imposed interim suspension, of an attorney who had appeared in court in a state of intoxication to represent a client scheduled to plead guilty in a criminal case. The judge ordered a breatherizer test that resulted in a blood alcohol level of .123 . The attorney was held in contempt and sentenced to six months. After his release, he was charged with parole violations and a conservator was appointed for him. There also were issues relating to the operation of his escrow account as well as a series of client complaints. (Mike Frisch)