Former Warsaw Attorney Scott Lennox Disbarred In Indiana
May 12, 2020 at 1:52 a.m.
By Amanda [email protected]
In an order Wednesday from hearing officer David J. Hensel, citing all Indiana Supreme Court Justices concur, Scott J. Lennox was disbarred from practicing law in the state of Indiana effective immediately.
Lennox, 50, who now lives in St. Clair, Mich., was convicted of seven felonies Feb. 28 in Marshall County court; two Level 5 fraud on an financial institution convictions, and five Level 6 felony theft convictions. He was sentenced to six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, with all the time suspended, mostly so he could pay back the $51,088.82 in restitution he owes to multiple victims. Those victims include Lake City Bank; and his former Lennox, Sobek and Buehler Law Firm partners Matthew Buehler and Joseph Sobek. Prosecutors in the case had the responsibility to finalize the list of former client victims of Lennox who will receive a piece of $34,481.81 that was set aside for them. At the time, Lennox had six open civil cases pending against him in Kosciusko County courts, according to court records.
In November, the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission filed a complaint against Lennox, but Lennox never responded or did what was required of him to challenge the complaint.
“We find that ... Scott Lennox committed attorney misconduct by neglecting client matters, mismanaging his attorney trust accounts, converting client funds and failing to cooperate with the disciplinary process,” the Wednesday ruling writes. “For this misconduct, we conclude that (Lennox) should be disbarred.”
Lennox was accused of stealing from his law firm in December 2017. A police investigation revealed Lennox had taken money on numerous occasions and cashed checks he wrote to himself.
“Misappropriation of client funds is a grave transgression,” the order writes. “It demonstrates a conscious desire to accomplish an unlawful act, denotes a lack of virtually all personal characteristics we deem important to law practice, threatens to bring significant misfortune on the unsuspecting client and severely impugns the integrity of the profession. The nature of (Lennox’s) misconduct, coupled with his multiple instances of noncooperation and his failure to participate in these proceedings, persuade us that disbarment is the appropriate sanction here as well.”
Lennox is now responsible for the court costs of the hearing to disbar him.
Elkhart County Special Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Becker predicted after Lennox’s sentencing that he will never practice law again and said that what he did is a disgrace to the profession.
Lennox told the judge in February he’d begin making restitution payments in March from money he’s earning selling cars at a dealership in Michigan.
Latest News
E-Editions
In an order Wednesday from hearing officer David J. Hensel, citing all Indiana Supreme Court Justices concur, Scott J. Lennox was disbarred from practicing law in the state of Indiana effective immediately.
Lennox, 50, who now lives in St. Clair, Mich., was convicted of seven felonies Feb. 28 in Marshall County court; two Level 5 fraud on an financial institution convictions, and five Level 6 felony theft convictions. He was sentenced to six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, with all the time suspended, mostly so he could pay back the $51,088.82 in restitution he owes to multiple victims. Those victims include Lake City Bank; and his former Lennox, Sobek and Buehler Law Firm partners Matthew Buehler and Joseph Sobek. Prosecutors in the case had the responsibility to finalize the list of former client victims of Lennox who will receive a piece of $34,481.81 that was set aside for them. At the time, Lennox had six open civil cases pending against him in Kosciusko County courts, according to court records.
In November, the Indiana Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission filed a complaint against Lennox, but Lennox never responded or did what was required of him to challenge the complaint.
“We find that ... Scott Lennox committed attorney misconduct by neglecting client matters, mismanaging his attorney trust accounts, converting client funds and failing to cooperate with the disciplinary process,” the Wednesday ruling writes. “For this misconduct, we conclude that (Lennox) should be disbarred.”
Lennox was accused of stealing from his law firm in December 2017. A police investigation revealed Lennox had taken money on numerous occasions and cashed checks he wrote to himself.
“Misappropriation of client funds is a grave transgression,” the order writes. “It demonstrates a conscious desire to accomplish an unlawful act, denotes a lack of virtually all personal characteristics we deem important to law practice, threatens to bring significant misfortune on the unsuspecting client and severely impugns the integrity of the profession. The nature of (Lennox’s) misconduct, coupled with his multiple instances of noncooperation and his failure to participate in these proceedings, persuade us that disbarment is the appropriate sanction here as well.”
Lennox is now responsible for the court costs of the hearing to disbar him.
Elkhart County Special Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Becker predicted after Lennox’s sentencing that he will never practice law again and said that what he did is a disgrace to the profession.
Lennox told the judge in February he’d begin making restitution payments in March from money he’s earning selling cars at a dealership in Michigan.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092