Danville, IL. (ECWd) –
William Layne Roberts, an Assistant State’s Attorney for Vermilion County, Illinois has been recommended by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission’s Review Board for a 30 day suspension for continuing to practice law after his name was removed from the Master Roll of Attorneys for failing to complete his continuing legal education requirements.
The ARDC complaint file can be found (HERE).
From the Complaint and ARDC Review Board:
- Respondent was admitted to the Illinois bar in November 2015. He was employed by the McLean County State’s Attorney’s Office as an assistant state’s attorney from July 2016 through November 2017. At the time of his October 2019 disciplinary hearing, he was employed by the Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office as an assistant state’s attorney. He has no prior discipline.
- One of the primary reasons for the Hearing Board’s recommendation of a 60-day suspension is the large number of cases that Respondent handled during the time that he was removed from the master roll. But, a high volume of cases is part and parcel of an assistant state’s attorney’s practice. We have already taken into account Respondent’s role as an assistant state’s attorney in determining that suspension rather than censure is necessary to protect the integrity of the legal system. To further increase sanction simply because of the inherent nature of Respondent’s practice seems akin to punishing him for choosing a career in public service as a prosecutor, rather than in civil practice.
- Accordingly, we recommend that Respondent be suspended for 30 days. We find this sanction to be commensurate with Respondent’s misconduct, consistent with discipline that has been imposed for comparable misconduct, and sufficient to serve the goals of attorney discipline and deter others from committing similar misconduct.
It is our understanding that this is a recommended suspension, and that this recommendation is pending further review.
2 Comments
GW ONE
Posted at 07:38h, 07 SeptemberOk. How about an ARDC complaint for States Attorneys that are licensed but refuse to follow the law? Tom Gibbons from Madison County appears to one example of an S.A. who failed to enforce Illinois law.
Greg G
Posted at 21:32h, 11 September“Prosecutorial Discretion” All SA’s use it. Two that come to mind is Julia Reitz of Champaign, and Kim Foxx of Cook County. They are soft as puppy shit on violent crime.