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Thursday, August 30, 2007

Ind. Courts - Controversy in Kokomo over public defender punishment

On August 1, 2007 the Indiana Supreme Court suspended Steven K. Raquet for 30 days, beginning Aug. 31, 2007. The offense involved viewing child pornography online in 2001. See this ILB entry from March 25, 2004.

The Kokomo Perspective has three stories today on this matter. One is an editorial, which says in part:

If there is anything the ongoing debacle that is Howard County government's endorsement of Steve Raquet as chief public defender teaches us, it is that the rest of us just aren't special. The wheels of justice turn differently for those chosen to rub elbows with the elite. The evidence to support this becomes more apparent every day.

Let's take at how Howard County government discerns between those who are "one of the boys" and those who are not. * * *

But Raquet -- he is clearly one of the boys. He takes pre-trial diversion for possession of child pornography and gets a promotion and a raise. He admits to bringing disrepute to the legal profession and gets suspended for 30 days, and Howard County government leaders say justice is served. Those same leaders said that Marr and others of prominence in the community should be held to a higher standard. Why wasn't Raquet held to that same standard?

This story is headed "Commissioners, county council members respond to public defender's 30-day suspension."

And this article begins:

Some say the Indiana Supreme Court's Aug. 1 decision to suspend Steve Raquet's law license for 30 days might have consequences for the Howard County Bar Association and the local court system.

"Well, there is no other way to say it other than it clearly reflects very poorly on our local bar," said David Steele, Howard County Bar Association president for 2007.

He was unable to answer how the local bar might fix its image, saying, "You know what, I don't know how to answer that, but if anybody else does, I would love to hear their answer."

Another local attorney holds a different view on the situation.

Dennis Perry, former Superior Court I judge, feels that the Raquet 30-day license suspension by the Supreme Court helps the image of the bar.

"I think it shows that the self-imposed system of discipline and ethics by the law profession, through the Canons of Ethics, works," Perry said. "That is what it is all about; that is what it is made for, for attorneys that make grievous mistakes, or that make silly, inane mistakes. Either way, they should be subject to having a discipline for those mistakes, and I think that what happened to (Raquet) just indicates the system works."

Annette Rush, head of Legal Services for UAW, who does not try many cases in local courts, felt remorse for the local bar.

"I feel really sad for (Raquet) and the bar association," she said. "As a whole, attorneys take a bad rap, and this is a difficult situation."

Steele, however, defends Raquet's job as public defender, despite the seriousness of his actions.

"What (Raquet) did in his private life, I believe, and most people believe, to be reprehensible," Steele said. "The fact is, his private life is completely different from his professional life," Steele said. "You will find very few attorneys in this town who feel (Raquet) is anything other than a competent, talented and dedicated attorney. What he did in his private life will lose him some respect amongst members of the community, but it does not change the fact that he is an excellent public defender."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 30, 2007 03:43 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts