Illinois Supreme Court Disbars 4, Suspends 6 in Latest Disciplinary Filing

The Illinois Supreme Court announced the filing of lawyer disciplinary orders on Nov. 19, 2019. Sanctions were imposed because the lawyers engaged in professional misconduct by violating state ethics law.

DISBARRED

• William Keith Bulmer II, Minneapolis, Minnesota

  
  Mr. Bulmer, who was licensed in 2005, was disbarred on consent. He engaged in sexual relations with the wife of one of his clients and falsely denied that relationship to a prosecutor in the client’s criminal matter. He also engaged in prohibited sexual relations with another client.  

• John Thomas Dzialo, Fullerton, California

  Mr. Dzialo was licensed in Illinois in 1974 and in California in 1992. The Supreme Court of California disbarred him for misappropriating $7,475 and for not returning his client’s files.  He did not respond to disciplinary charges in California. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and disbarred him in Illinois.

• Donald Fredrick Franz, Crystal Lake

  Mr. Franz, who was licensed in 1993, was disbarred on consent following his convictions for resisting arrest, driving under the influence of alcohol, telephone harassment, and unlawful possession of a firearm without a FOID card.  

• Bruce Joseph Tackowiak, Los Angeles, California

  Mr. Tackowiak was licensed in California in 1990 and in Illinois in 1991. The Supreme Court of California disbarred him for engaging in misconduct in connection with two separate civil matters, including misappropriating $6,645.82, failing to provide competent representation, and failing to respond to California disciplinary authorities. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and disbarred him in Illinois.  

SUSPENDED

• Christopher Craig Anderson, Naperville
  
  Mr. Anderson, who was licensed in 2011, was suspended for one year. While employed at two separate large law firms, he intentionally inflated the time he claimed to have spent on client matters, knowing that the clients would be asked to pay for time he had not actually spent on their cases. In 2018, he told the head of his practice group about the false billings. Both firms conducted reviews of his past bills and offered refunds or credits to the affected clients. The suspension is effective on December 10, 2019.  

• Dale Edward Gerecke, Cape Girardeau, Missouri

  Mr. Gerecke was licensed in Illinois in 1982 and in Missouri in 1983. The Supreme Court of Missouri suspended him for six months for misappropriating $4,900 in client funds. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him for six months in Illinois. The suspension is effective on December 10, 2019.  

• Paul Christopher Gibbons, Dover, Massachusetts

  Mr. Gibbons was licensed in both Illinois and Massachusetts in 1997. The Supreme Judicial Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts suspended him from the practice of law in Massachusetts for 18 months without automatic reinstatement retroactive to the date he was suspended from practicing before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, for making false assertions in pleadings filed in federal court. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and suspended him from the practice of law in Illinois for 18 months and until he is reinstated in Massachusetts. The suspension is effective on December 10, 2019.

• Evangeline Levison, Chicago

  Ms. Levison, who was licensed in 1984, was suspended for three years and until she makes restitution of her unpaid tax obligations.  For a number of years, while serving as the attorney for the Village of Dolton, she failed to timely file her federal tax returns.  She was convicted of willful failure to file tax returns. The suspension is effective on December 10, 2019.  

• Joshua Shawn Reeves, Mt. Vernon

  Mr. Reeves, who was licensed in 2016, was suspended for 30 days and until further order of the Court, with the suspension stayed in its entirety by three years of probation with conditions. Mr. Reeves had asked a client to provide him with nude pictures or sexual acts in exchange for reduced legal fees. The client did not accept the offer and terminated the representation.

• Robert C. Thomas, Woodridge

  Mr. Thomas, who was licensed in 1969, was suspended for two years and until further order of the Court following his conviction for aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol and his conviction for criminal contempt resulting from his appearance in court while intoxicated.

REPRIMANDED

• Robert Henry Domico, Las Vegas, Nevada

  Mr. Domico was licensed in Illinois in 1987 and in Nevada in 1997. The Supreme Court of Nevada suspended him from the practice of law in Nevada for six months, with the suspension stayed by a two-year period of probation and a public reprimand, subject to the condition that he not be disciplined again during the period of probation. He had engaged in a conflict of interest by serving as a client’s real estate agent while representing the client in all of the client’s legal matters. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline by reprimanding him and placing him on probation for a period of two years, retroactive to September 11, 2017, and subject to the condition imposed by the Supreme Court of Nevada.

• Hong Min Jun, Carmel, Indiana

  Mr. Jun was licensed in Indiana in 2005 and in Illinois in 2010. The Indiana Supreme Court publicly reprimanded him for counseling a client to have the client’s spouse make false statements about her intention to leave the United States on her application for a non-immigrant visa or visa waiver. The Supreme Court of Illinois imposed reciprocal discipline and reprimanded him in Illinois.