The Supreme Court of Ohio has suspended Westlake attorney Daniel E. Perrico following his criminal convictions for providing alcohol to two teenage girls and groping one of them. The court found Perrico guilty of two ethics violations related to the incident, which involved his 15-year-old stepdaughter and her two 18-year-old friends.
The suspension will last for two years, with one year stayed on the condition that Perrico commits no further misconduct. Justices Patrick F. Fischer, R. Patrick DeWine, Michael P. Donnelly, and Melody Stewart agreed with the decision.
Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy argued in a separate opinion that Perrico's actions amounted to gross sexual imposition and warranted a full two-year suspension without a stay. Justice Joseph T. Deters supported this view.
Justice Donnelly expressed concerns about the plea deal that allowed Perrico to plead guilty to misdemeanor assault instead of sexual imposition, which meant he avoided registering as a sex offender and had his record sealed. He noted that such "factually baseless plea agreement[s]" could hinder disciplinary investigations into an attorney's conduct.
Perrico's case began in September 2019 when he hosted a sleepover at his home while his wife was out of town. He provided mixed alcoholic drinks to the teens, leading to inappropriate contact with one of them who later testified against him.
After the incident, the affected teen remained in contact with Perrico due to her difficult personal circumstances but eventually disclosed what happened to her friends and later reported it to authorities.
Perrico was charged with furnishing alcohol to minors and sexual imposition but pleaded guilty only to furnishing alcohol and assault, avoiding more severe consequences. His ex-wife reported his conviction after their divorce was finalized.
During disciplinary hearings, Perrico claimed the teens drank voluntarily and denied making sexually suggestive comments or touching anyone inappropriately. However, testimony from the young women contradicted his claims.
The board concluded that Perrico engaged in illegal acts affecting his honesty and trustworthiness as a lawyer and recommended a suspension based on these findings.
Chief Justice Kennedy emphasized that a harsher sanction would better demonstrate zero tolerance for such behavior by attorneys, while Justice Donnelly called for changes in Ohio's rules regarding plea agreements lacking factual basis.
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