NJ Lawyer Censured for Taking Items from Blind Vendor
A New Jersey lawyer has been censured for taking food and drinks from a blind refreshment stand vendor without paying for the items.
The now-retired lawyer, Elwood John Walzer, had claimed the vendor was cantankerous and didn’t like to make change. Walzer said he took the items when he had nothing smaller than a $20 bill and and then paid later, the New Jersey Law Journal reports. He later paid the vendor $1,200, although the items were valued at around $100.
The New Jersey Supreme Court agreed with a Disciplinary Review Board opinion (PDF) that censure was appropriate.
Walzer was a lawyer and regulatory officer for the Department of Human Services. He was caught on a surveillance camera in the fall of 2007 taking food and beverages at least 14 times. He was not criminally prosecuted.
Additional coverage:
Legal Profession Blog: “Stealing From Blind Vendor Draws Censure”
