Lawyer Accused of Keying Marine’s Car Reportedly Faces Ethics Probe
Sources tell a Chicago Tribune columnist that a lawyer accused of keying the car of a Marine is facing an ethics investigation.
Chicago lawyer Jay Grodner is accused of keying the BMW after the Marine missed a turn and backed up to stop at a friend’s house. Grodner, who was charged with military damage to property, is accused of making anti-military comments when Sgt. Michael McNulty spotted him by his car. The outburst was apparently spurred by the military plates and sticker on the car.
Prosecutors may upgrade the charge against Grodner from a misdemeanor to a felony when he appears in court next week, Tribune columnist John Kass reports.
Sources told Kass that Grodner is under investigation by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. Grodner was censured in 1984 for helping forge signatures on a tax ballot initiative while working as an assistant prosecutor in suburban Kane County. The forgery scheme was initiated by the state’s attorney, and Grodner had been a lawyer for only three months at the time of the wrongdoing, according to the Illinois Supreme Court opinion.
Kass reports that Grodner “has recently run into some difficult circumstances, including filing for bankruptcy in 2004,” according to the lawyer’s friends, who describe him as a man with passionate feelings.
