Title: Disciplinary Counsel v. Lisotto

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

[Cite as Disciplinary Counsel v. Lisotto, 94 Ohio St.3d 213, 2002-Ohio-638.] 
 
 
OFFICE OF DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL v. LISOTTO. 
[Cite as Disciplinary Counsel v. Lisotto (2002), 94 Ohio St.3d 213.] 
Judges — Misconduct — Public reprimand — Accepting football tickets from 
attorney who has come or is likely to come before the judge — Failing to 
avoid appearance of impropriety — Failing to file complete and timely 
financial disclosure statements. 
(No. 01-1559 — Submitted October 16, 2001 — Decided January 30, 2002.) 
ON CERTIFIED REPORT by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances 
and Discipline of the Supreme Court, No. 01-08. 
__________________ 
 
Per Curiam.  In 1993 and 1994, while respondent, Robert G. Lisotto of 
Youngstown, Ohio, Attorney Registration No. 0003668, was a judge in the 
Mahoning County Court, and in 1997 and 1998 when he was judge of the 
Mahoning County Court of Common Pleas, he accepted up to two tickets to 
attend a maximum of eight Pittsburgh Steeler National Football League home 
games, per season, from attorney Stuart Banks.  During that time, Banks appeared 
as counsel of record in numerous cases before respondent.  However, there was 
no evidence of any favor, preference, or improper action between respondent and 
Banks in any case in which Banks appeared before respondent. 
 
While attending a judges’ conference in September 1999, respondent 
realized that his acceptance of tickets from Banks might be improper, and on 
September 26, 1999, respondent gave Banks a check for $3,000 to pay for the 
football game tickets he received in the years in question.  In April 2001, 
respondent amended his financial disclosure forms for the years 1993, 1997, and 
1998 to reflect his receipt of the tickets.  In May 2001, respondent amended his 
1994 financial disclosure form to reflect the same information. 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
2 
 
In February 2001, relator, Office of Disciplinary Counsel, filed a 
complaint charging that the conduct of respondent violated the Canons of Judicial 
Ethics.  Respondent answered, and the matter was submitted to a panel of the 
Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline of the Supreme Court 
(“board”). 
 
Based on the testimony received at a hearing on June 26, 2001, and the 
stipulations of the parties, the panel found the facts as stated and further found 
that at one time respondent had referred a potential client to Banks, but 
respondent was not involved in the litigation, if any, that resulted from the 
referral.  The panel concluded that respondent’s acceptance of the tickets violated 
Canon 2(C)(5)(h) of the Code of Judicial Conduct (a judge shall not accept a gift  
from a person who has come or is likely to come before the judge) and Canon 4 (a 
judge shall avoid the appearance of impropriety in all of the judge’s actions).  It 
further concluded that respondent’s failure to include the receipt of the gifts on his 
original financial statements violated Canon 2(D)(3)(b) (full-time judges shall file 
complete and timely financial disclosure statements).  In mitigation the panel 
received letters from over fifty judges, attorneys, and members of the community 
attesting to the good character of respondent, and noted that respondent submitted 
payment for the tickets to Banks as soon as he discovered his error.  The panel 
recommended that the respondent receive a public reprimand. 
 
The board adopted the findings, conclusions, and recommendation of the 
panel.  We have reviewed the record and adopt the findings, conclusions, and 
recommendation of the board.  Respondent is hereby publicly reprimanded.  Costs 
are taxed to respondent. 
Judgment accordingly. 
 
MOYER, C.J., DOUGLAS, RESNICK, F.E. SWEENEY, PFEIFER, COOK and 
LUNDBERG STRATTON, JJ., concur. 
__________________ 
January Term, 2002 
3 
 
Jonathan E. Coughlan, Disciplinary Counsel, for relator. 
 
J. Gerald Ingram; Kegler, Brown, Hill & Ritter and Geoffrey Stern, for 
respondent. 
__________________