Lawyer who gave incarcerated boyfriend $11 lands in ethical trouble for contraband
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An Ohio lawyer who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after admitting that she passed $11 to her incarcerated boyfriend found herself in disciplinary trouble for the conduct.
The Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct is recommending a stayed suspension for the lawyer, Virginia Riggs, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Thursday. The lawyer is referred to as Virginia Riggs-Horton in the board recommendation.
Riggs says she passed the money to her boyfriend under the table at a Kentucky detention center in August 2017 after he asked for cash for vending machines. The detention center rules said money could not be given to prisoners without first being given to guards, but Riggs was unaware of the restriction.
According to the board recommendation, which was considered June 13, Riggs’ boyfriend told her that if she followed proper channels for giving him money, he would not get the money for several days. Video surveillance caught Riggs passing something to the boyfriend, who was incarcerated on a parole violation.
A search after the visit turned up smokeless tobacco but not the $11. Riggs denied giving her boyfriend tobacco but acknowledged giving him the money.
After her guilty plea to promoting contraband, Riggs self-reported the conviction to ethics regulators.
Riggs had no prior discipline and displayed a cooperative attitude in ethics proceedings. She also had a good reputation in the community, the recommendation said.
Riggs has agreed to the stayed suspension, which is conditioned on her committing no further misconduct.
Riggs was contrite in an interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I accept full responsibility for what I did,” she said. “It was stupid on my part. Even lawyers make dumb decisions.”
