Lawyer obtained credit report of opposing party without permission, ethics complaint alleges
An ethics complaint accuses an Illinois lawyer of accessing the credit report of an opposing party without permission in a bid to obtain additional child support for his client.
The complaint alleges lawyer Peter Alexander Papoutsis was able to get the credit report from creditreport.com last December using information obtained in pretrial discovery. After obtaining the document, Papoutsis attached part of the report to briefs filed on behalf of his client, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.
The opposing party’s lawyer sought an order barring the lawyer from using the credit report, which was granted by Judge John Thomas Carr last December.
The ethics complaint cites a federal law making it a crime to knowingly obtain information from a consumer reporting agency under false pretenses.
Papoutsis told the ABA Journal he could not comment until the matter is finalized.
Hat tip to the Legal Profession Blog.
