► Attorney Shawn Tornow of Sioux Falls; ethical gremlin |
Attorney Shawn Tornow of Sioux Falls; ethical gremlin
The state of Illinois presented Michael Robert Bless with a law license in 1988 after he graduated from the University of South Dakota Law School.
The South Dakota State Bar Disciplinary Board found Shawn guilty of the following misconduct.
Shawn’s misconduct took place while he was employed as an assistant city attorney. Shawn found it acceptable to not provide information to a former city commissioner involved in a case before the city’s Ethics Board.
Court records proved that Shawn had a phone conversation with former city council member Kermit Staggers about the Ethics Board’s handling of a case involving Staggers. Staggers then called Shawn and asked him for a copy of the phone conversation; however, Shawn lied to him that no such recording existed.
In another matter, Shawn engaged in an improper conversation with an attorney involved with his daughter’s citations for speeding and failing to wear a seat belt. The city attorney’s office couldn’t prosecute the citations because Shawn worked there; however, this didn’t stop Shawn from attempting to influence the outcome of the cases.
As a consequence of his misconduct, the apologists for Attorney Misfits sitting on the State Bar Board recommended to the South Dakota Supreme Court that they punish Shawn by gifting him with a complimentary censure.
All that’s left now is to see what if any punishment the South Dakota Supreme Court metes out to Shawn for his misconduct.
As we speak (ca. June 2013), Michael practices with Tornow Law Office PC at 4309 South Louise Avenue in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
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