Akron Attorney Indefinitely Suspended
Please note: Opinion summaries are prepared by the Office of Public Information for the general public and news media. Opinion summaries are not prepared for every opinion released by the Court, but only for those cases considered noteworthy or of great public interest. Opinion summaries are not to be considered as official headnotes or syllabi of Court opinions. The full text of this and other Court opinions from 1992 to the present are available online from the Reporter of Decisions. In the Full Text search box, enter the eight-digit case number at the top of this summary and click "Submit."
2010-1463. Disciplinary Counsel v. Muntean, Slip Opinion No. 2010-Ohio-6133.
On Certified Report by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline, No. 09-094. Christopher Peter Muntean, Attorney Registration No. 0077343, is indefinitely suspended from the practice of law in Ohio, with credit for time served under the interim suspension imposed on January 8, 2010.
Brown, C.J., and Pfeifer, Lundberg Stratton, O'Connor, Lanzinger, and Cupp, JJ., concur.
O'Donnell, J. concurs in imposing an indefinite suspension but would not give credit for time served under the interim suspension.
Opinion: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/0/2010/2010-Ohio-6133.pdf
(Dec. 20, 2010) The Supreme Court of Ohio today indefinitely suspended the law license of Akron attorney Christopher P. Muntean for professional misconduct arising from his theft of funds from the Summit County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Board while serving as treasurer of that board.
In a per curiam opinion, the Court adopted findings by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline that Muntean, whose license has been under an interim suspension since January 2010 based on his guilty plea to a felony count of grand theft, violated the state attorney discipline rules that prohibit illegal acts that reflect adversely on a lawyer’s honesty, engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, and engaging in conduct that adversely reflects of an attorney’s fitness to practice law.
In setting the sanction for Muntean’s violations, the Court balanced aggravating and mitigating factors in the case, including the facts that Muntean self-reported his misconduct and has made full restitution to CASA of the funds he took. The Court voted to impose an indefinite license suspension with credit for the 11 months Muntean’s license has been under interim suspension. As a result, the earliest he would be eligible to apply for reinstatement is January 2012.
The court’s opinion was joined by Chief Justice Eric Brown and Justices Paul E. Pfeifer, Evelyn Lundberg Stratton, Maureen O’Connor, Judith Ann Lanzinger and Robert R. Cupp. Justice Terrence O’Donnell concurred with the sanction of an indefinite suspension, but indicated that he would not credit Muntean with the months he has served under interim suspension.
Contacts
Jonathan E. Coughlan, 614.461.0256, for the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
Donald R. Hicks, 330.376.5756, for Christopher Muntean.
Requires the free Adobe Flash Player.View system requirements, download instructions, and download the free Adobe Flash Player.