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[KSweeley]

The Washington Post reported on the sentencing of a Maryland attorney who has been convicted of sexual solicitation of a minor where the judge sentenced him to 6 months in prison but gave him a full month to not report to prison so he can shut down his law practice: https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...al_alert-COMBO-local-crime%2Blocal-all&wpmk=1

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Richard Jordan sentenced longtime Maryland attorney Michael Dobbs to six months for sexual solicitation of a minor. The judge said he would recommend that part of that sentence be served in a halfway house.

The judge also said Dobbs would not need to report to jail for a month in order to give him time to shut down his law practice.

 

[border]

Isn't this relatively common amongst criminals who aren't a flight risk?

 

[elrechazado]

He has many people who will be damaged by him going to jail if he doesn't transfer their information and make arrangements. There should be zero problem with this as long as he's subject to pre-incarceration restrictions.

Isn't this relatively common amongst criminals who aren't a flight risk?

Yep. Not sure why this is news or even post worthy.

 

[KHarvey16]

Also six months was requested by the prosecution, who were brought in from out of town due to conflict of interest concerns.

 

[LakeEarth]

Umm... good? That sounds like the reasonable thing to do.

 

[Daedardus]

What's so special about this? He still needs to carry out the sentence, if he tries to go anywhere he'll be even in more trouble.

 

[norm9]

Seems like if you're activiely trying to fuck a kid, fuck your law business.

 

[KHarvey16]

Seems like if you're activiely trying to fuck a kid, fuck your law business.

And the clients you're defending?

 

[norm9]

And the clients you're defending?

I didn't think of that.

Seems like cases he's working on could be passed off rather quickly to colleagues or other lawyers cince it obviously couldn't be too much work if he's got the time to text a kid for months.

 

[Dr.Guru of Peru]

Non issue, thread title crafted to create a reaction amongst posters too lazy to try and understand the rationale behind the sentence.

 

[jacobeid]

I didn't think of that.

Seems like cases he's working on could be passed off rather quickly to colleagues or other lawyers cince it obviously couldn't be too much work if he's got the time to text a kid for months.

On the one hand, I get your point, but on the other, I know from working in the legal field that there's a lot of bullshit (and bullshit filings) that comes with "passing off" cases to another attorney, whether that be an attorney at the same firm or a different one entirely. Depending on the size of his firm, a month could be ample time or crunch time, let alone how much time (and money) is required for case review by a new attorney.

Edit: also fuck that guy. Gross behavior.

 

[KHarvey16]

I didn't think of that.

Seems like cases he's working on could be passed off rather quickly to colleagues or other lawyers cince it obviously couldn't be too much work if he's got the time to text a kid for months.

I'll let the lawyers answer but if the process is like almost anything else dealing with courts and the law it probably doesn't happen too quickly.

 

[5taquitos]

This seems like a whole lot of nothing. He still has to do 6 months after taking the time to shut down the firm.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

If you're not at risk of fleeing, makes sense to allow time for critical personal or professional arrangements to conclude before going to prison.

I didn't think of that.

Seems like cases he's working on could be passed off rather quickly to colleagues or other lawyers cince it obviously couldn't be too much work if he's got the time to text a kid for months.

He's shutting down the entire practice. There will undoubtedly be a shitstorm in just dealing with client data and trust funds, let alone having those clients "Passed off" to someone else in:

1. Ample time before their hearing and
2. To a solicitor who has the time or availability to take on their matter, which will have to be after conflict of interest checks and a range of other requirements are established.

Let alone all of the paperwork involved during that period...

You have absolutely no idea how solicitors work, right? I mean, that's fine, but if his firm was sizeable, one month could be barely enough time. I've spoken to plenty of solicitors and paralegals during my study and the word "quickly" is dead to them.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

There's a whole movie on this premise with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart.