Lawyer left abusive F-bomb voice mails, ethics complaint alleges; he decries 'ridiculousness'
An ethics complaint accuses a Chicago lawyer of leaving abusive voice mails telling the father of one client that “all black people are alike” and calling a nursing home administrator a “stupid Jew ass.”
The lawyer, Michael Jerome Moore, is accused in an Aug. 26 complaint, report the Legal Profession Blog, Above the Law and the Orland Park Patch.
Moore told the Orland Park Patch that the client’s father had disrespected him, even though he had worked tirelessly on his son’s behalf for almost two years before allowing a public defender to step in. “I’m a human being,” he said. “I got tired of the disrespect.”
Moore deemed the ethics situation to be “ridiculousness” and added that, “This is a free speech country,” according to the Orland Park Patch.
Moore left the summer 2014 voice mails with the client’s father in an attempt to collect $300 in additional fees, the ethics complaint alleges. The father had already paid a $3,500 as per the fee agreement, and then an extra $200, the complaint says. According to the complaint, Moore left these statements on voice mail:
• “You are a piece of garbage. All black people are alike. You’re slovenly, ignorant.”
• “You better give me my money or your son’s case is going to be delayed.”
• “I’m sick of you, you piece of shit.”
• “Low class n—–s. I’m going to have you all locked up.”
• “You’re ugly, low class, ignorant. I’ll finish with you when he gets off. You’re demeaning your son.”
Moore left another voice mail in June to protest a nursing home’s release of a woman for whom Moore had been appointed attorney in fact. His voice mails to the nursing home official included these comments, according to the complaint:
“You put my girl out in the street and didn’t give a f—, and didn’t let her come back, and know that she is mentally challenged. Are you mentally challenged, you piece of shit? Let me tell you something. There is a tort—with your stupid ass, you don’t know what that is—called violation of fiduciary capacity. And that’s what you’ve done in this, with your stupid Jew ass. Mother-f— you, how you f—– my girl. Okay, I’m going to sue you.”
Moore was also accused of neglecting a criminal appeal and failing to comply with document requests in the ethics investigation. Moore told the Orland Park Patch he did participate in the investigation. “I answered this in writing more than a year ago. They keep propounding the situation,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s political or something.”
Moore is one of five lawyers named Michael Moore listed on the list of Illinois attorneys. He has been licensed to practice since 1986. He did not immediately respond to an ABA Journal voice mail seeking comment.
