Opinion ID: 1085207
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Events Giving Rise to Misconduct Charges

Text: Respondent, a graduate of University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame), has practiced law in the South Bend area since 1995. In May 2009, there were pro-life demonstrations in response to announcements that President Barack Obama would speak at Notre Dame and receive an honorary degree. More than 88 individuals were arrested by Notre Dame police and other local police, and were charged with trespass on Notre Dame grounds. Respondent represented 85 of those who were arrested. The 85 cases were consolidated into a single case, State of Indiana v. All Consolidated Cause Defendants, under Cause No. 71D01-0905-CM-03246. Respondent planned to present a novel defense for his clients—that they had a contractual right to pray on the Notre Dame campus originating in Catholic canon law. The consolidated case was assigned to Judge Jenny Pitts Manier (Judge Manier) in St. Joseph Superior Court. Judge Manier is married to Professor Edward Manier, who was a tenured professor at Notre Dame and taught there for 48 years. Professor Manier retired in 2007. He continues to have teaching privileges at Notre Dame, although he does not teach, and he has a research grant. Judge Manier had presided in an earlier case entitled Kendall v. City of South Bend, 71D07-0602-PL-52, a case in which Judge Manier ruled that Kendall, a pro-life supporter, was subject to an injunction regarding an abortion facility that was entered in a different case years earlier. Respondent represented Michael Marsh, who sought to intervene, asserting that he was similarly situated to Kendall and that his rights would be affected by the decision in that case. Judge Manier had denied intervention. On August 28, 2009, Respondent filed an 11-page Motion for Change of Judge to have Judge Manier recuse herself from the consolidated case. The motion included a three-page affidavit from Respondent (First Affidavit) and supporting exhibits. After a hearing, Judge Manier denied the motion. On September 28, 2009, Respondent filed a 17-page motion to 2 reconsider with supporting exhibits, including his nine-page supplemental affidavit (Second Affidavit). Judge Manier also denied the motion to reconsider. Respondent sought Judge Manier's recusal based on her husband's alleged advocacy in favor of pro-choice causes and academic freedom for Notre Dame, along with Judge Manier's failure to disclose this alleged advocacy. Respondent argued that his clients were arrested because they acted on beliefs about abortion and academic freedom for Notre Dame that were directly contrary to the beliefs allegedly advocated by Professor Manier during his career. Judge Manier also made statements that Respondent believed were inaccurate about her husband's writings at the hearing on the Motion for Change of Judge. In addition, Respondent cited Judge Manier's allegedly erroneous rulings in Kendall as a basis for recusal. On October 8, 2009, Respondent filed a Motion for Certification of an Interlocutory Appeal requesting to appeal the recusal issue. Judge Manier certified the issue for appeal, but before the issue reached the Court of Appeals, Judge Manier filed a grievance against Respondent with the Commission and recused herself from the case. Respondent filed timely notices of tort claim against Notre Dame related to potential civil suits by his clients against the University in order to preserve his clients' rights in the event the University was found to be a government entity. Both the civil and criminal cases were resolved in 2011. Under the settlement, the clients agreed to release all claims against Notre Dame and the State dismissed all criminal charges against all of Respondent's clients.