Illinois Supreme Court disbars 3 lawyers, suspends 11

The Illinois Supreme Court disbarred 3 lawyers, suspended 11 and censured 1 this week in its latest disciplinary filing. Most of the suspensions take effect on Dec. 8. More information on each case is available on the Web site of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

DISBARRED

• Edward Earle Hearn, Chicago

Mr. Hearn, who was licensed in 1987, was disbarred. While serving as a pastor of a Chicago church, he misappropriated over $80,000 of church funds.

• Kenneth Edward Mateas, Aurora

Mr. Mateas, who was licensed in 1982, was disbarred on consent. He was convicted in Kane County of reproducing child pornography. He was sentenced to a four-year prison term and must register for life as a sex offender.

• John F. Pawloski, Belleville

Mr. Pawloski, who was licensed to practice in 1997, was disbarred on consent. He misappropriated more than $25,000 from three estates where he had been appointed as temporary public guardian. He also failed to diligently represent three other clients.

SUSPENDED

• James Gordon Banks, Schaumburg

Mr. Banks, who was licensed in 2000, was suspended for ninety days. He knowingly hired a disbarred attorney to work in his office as a paralegal.

• Mark D. Bradley, Decatur

Mr. Bradley, who was licensed in 1980, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court. He was arrested for making a threat to a Macon County Circuit Court Judge.  He was later indicted by a grand jury and charged with the offense of threatening a public official, a class three felony. He also solicited professional employment from four criminal defendants incarcerated in the Macon County jail, one of whom then hired Mr. Bradley to represent him.  He was suspended on an interim basis on December 10, 2008.

• William Earl Brooks, Chicago

Mr. Brooks, who was licensed in 1977, was suspended for eighteen months and until further order of the Court, with the suspension to run consecutive to a suspension imposed upon him earlier this year. He filed a false application in a bankruptcy proceeding, neglected a client's post-dissolution of marriage matter, made misrepresentations to a court in that matter, and filed a sanctions motion against opposing counsel without a basis to do so.

• Dennis John Callahan, River Forest

Mr. Callahan, who was licensed in 1979, was suspended for three years and until further order of the Court. He misappropriated $71,883.81 in escrow funds in relation to a dissolution of marriage case.

• Patricia Montes Deoca, Chicago

Ms. DeOca, who was licensed in 1980, was suspended for six months and until she makes pays certain restitution to two former clients. She failed to promptly refund unearned fees and did not keep clients informed about the status of their cases.

• Andrew Dorsey III, Springfield

Mr. Dorsey, who was licensed to practice in 2003, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed after thirty days by a two-year period of probation with conditions. He neglected two different clients by not responding to pleadings, not appearing in court, and failing to communicate about the status of their cases. Default judgments were entered against each client.

• Bruce Nash, Chicago

Mr. Nash, who was licensed in 1989, was suspended for thirty months and until further order of the Court. He engaged in conflicts of interest and dishonesty in two separate real estate transactions, and he neglected another client matter. He has been disciplined on prior occasions for unrelated misconduct.

• James Brian Pierce, Chicago

Mr. Pierce, who was licensed in 1979, was suspended for one year and until further order of the Court. He converted funds from two different personal injury clients. He did not participate in the disciplinary proceeding.

CENSURED

• Judd Marc Harris, Chicago

Mr. Harris, who was licensed in 1984, was censured and ordered to successfully complete a professionalism seminar conducted by the ARDC. He represented clients in two real estate tax deed matters who had conflicting interests. Each of the tax deed matters was eventually dismissed.

PREVIOUS FILING

The following order was entered by the court before the September 2009 term but was not included in any previous ARDC release.

• Byron Lee Landau, Santa Ana, Calif.

Mr. Landau was licensed in Illinois in 1978 and in California in 1995. He was suspended in California for two years, with the suspension stayed after sixty days by three years of probation subject to various conditions. He entered into improper business transactions with a client by taking a series of loans from the client. The Illinois Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for two years in Illinois, stayed after sixty days, by a term of probation subject to the conditions imposed in California. The suspension was effective on October 13, 2009.