Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Former Deputy Prosecutor Gets Six-Month Suspension For Felony Drunk Driving Conviction

A spokesman and deputy prosecutor for former Marion Co. Prosecutor Carl Brizzi received a six-month suspension by the Indiana Supreme Court from the practice of law for his recent felony drunk driving conviction in Hamilton County. Mario Massillamany pleaded guilty on April 9, 2014 to operating a vehicle while intoxicated, his third such conviction, which was elevated to a felony due to a prior OWI conviction within the past five years.

According to the Supreme Court's Order, Massillamany promptly self-reported his arrest last July. In 2010, Massillamany received a public reprimand from the Supreme Court after he pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering another person's life, a Class A misdemeanor. Massillamany had a prior conviction for OWI dating back to 2000. The Court's Order also says that Massillamany had neglected to report a prior illegal consumption arrest in 1996 on his initial application to practice law in Indiana or in his renewed application. Massillamany will be reinstated following his six-month suspension as long as he complies with the terms of his probation.

The order found that Massillamany violated the following rules of professional conduct:
8.1(a): Knowingly making a false statement of material fact to the Board of Law Examiners in connection with a bar admission application.
8.1(b): Failure to disclose relevant facts to the Board of Law Examiners.
8.4(b): Committing a criminal act that reflects adversely on Respondent's trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer.
Hat tip to Indiana Law Blog.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

And yet his highly unethical former boss remains free to practice law without a scratch on him.

Anonymous said...

What sort of crappy career throws you out of work for having a criminal problem?

What sort of country is this?

Anonymous said...

should his new nickname be Otis?

Anonymous said...

It seems to me that a felony conviction should be an automatic disqualification to be an attorney. If one is so dishonorable as to commit a felony, they certainly should not be permitted to represent others before a court of law or in legal matters.

I think the Code of Conduct reflects this:

"A lawyer, as a member of the legal profession, is a representative of clients, an officer of the legal system and a public citizen having special responsibility for the quality of justice. Whether or not engaging in the practice of law, lawyers should conduct themselves honorably.

A lawyer's conduct should conform to the requirements of the law, both in professional service to clients and in the lawyer's business and personal affairs.

Many of a lawyer's professional responsibilities are prescribed in the Rules of Professional Conduct, as well as substantive and procedural law.

It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to:

Commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects;


Anonymous said...

I have a few friends/acquaintances who were unlucky enough to be caught in the City operating a motor vehicle after having one too many and these friends were put THROUGH THE WRINGER and into a system that kept them there FOR THE MONEY (not at all for "justice") much unlike this total loser creep Mario Massillamany and his corrupt thieving former boss.

It is truthful stories like that that cause us citizens to have ZERO respect for City and State politicians, lawyers, police officers, judges, probation officers, et al. after reading what an utter travesty Indy/Indiana "justice" is depending on who you are and who you know and who you worked under.

Can you say Jim Irsay?..... another too-connected loser who is a crook in more ways than one.

And local "enforcement" people wonder why the hell the citizens think so freaking little of them....

They are part of the corruption. This Mario Massillamany story and the pukes that abet him make for poor citizen role models to say the very least. But if this were an "everyday" citizen... leg irons, chains, expense, job joss, it goes on.

Anonymous said...

And Paul Ogden's offenses of criticizing a judge in an email is a much greater offense than this repeat criminal's. Will Mario have to pay an ungodly sum of money to practice law again?