Chicago attorney Nathan Billmaier, 35, was convicted of smuggling drugs and paraphernalia in legal briefs and materials to a client, Donald Jordan, in prison. He is the second attorney in Chicago to be nailed for smuggling in contraband.
Billmaier was convicted of six such incidents. He was arrested with nine flattened tinfoil packages that contained 4 ounces of marijuana, 4 ounces of contraband tobacco, 6 Ecstasy tablets and 40 matches.
The girlfriend of prisoner Donald Jordan (who is in for murder, parole violation, and prison contraband) put together the packages for Billmaier who was given $500-$700 per delivery. He made only $3,600 in return for destroying his career and his life.
Remarkably, he is not the only attorney with loaded briefs, here.
He also joins two other lawyers nailed recently for shoplifting.
For the full story, click here.
WOW! on a personal note what a felone can get away with even in cook county jail. I am just happy that after almost 8 long years he is finally found guilty on 02/2012.
Kathryn forgot to mention amidst all the corruption Mr. Billmaier was wrapped up in, there was an audio tape of billmaier mentioning how nicely the contraband was packaged “this time”. oops!
Kathryn:
“There are instances in the CJ system in which guilt is indeed not proven but because of politics and corruption (remember we’re talking about Chicago here) innocent people suffer. Politics trump justice, and lives are ruined.But instead of taking that into consideration you sit behind your little lap-tops and spew your arm-chair legal opinions instead of actually involving yourselves in anything worthwhile to possibly change and improve a terribly broken system.”
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Thank you for your own objective analysis complete with the plethora of glittering generalities, Mrs. Billmaier. I also enjoy the slur on Chicago since we all know that absolutely everything that happens there is corrupt. Look how the Cubs have sleazed their way into all those World Series wins!
Okay so Nathan Billmaier was convicted, but I wonder if any of you bloggers/legal know-it-alls out there have read court transcripts ofr done any investigating of your own to really have the opnions that you’ve so righteously expressed here. There are instances in the CJ system in which guilt is indeed not proven but because of politics and corruption (remember we’re talking about Chicago here) innocent people suffer. Politics trump justice, and lives are ruined. But instead of taking that into consideration you sit behind your little lap-tops and spew your arm-chair legal opinions instead of actually involving yourselves in anything worthwhile to possibly change and improve a terribly broken system. Wanna give a damn about something? Check out wm3.org
rafflaw, you don’t know squat about economics and must be playing dumb about the law. Attorney Nathan Billmaier did not sell his law license and destroy his career for $3,600. First on the business of law: He smuggled the drugs to maintain the client relationship, and could easily have earned hundreds of thousands from this client alone, not to mention referrals. But even if you get the total money this corrupt lawyer made corrected, you also fail to employ basic economic principles – basic business principles. If the lawyer stood only a one in 1,000 chance of getting caught, then he would only have “sold” .001 of his law license and career for $100K. Thus, his corrupt law career could be fully valued at 100K times 1,000 = $100Million. Even at a 50% haircut that is $50Million for being a crook. But what is the true untold story here. Mr. Billmaier, Esq. probably thought he had a 0% chance of getting caught because of organized crime. For some untold reason, Mr. Billmaier was given up. Hey rafflaw, can you calculate the dollar value forfeited by all of the SEC lawyers who willfully ignored the blatant Ponzi scheme by Bernie Madoff, even after multiple tip off letters forced them to conduct an on site examination? Here is a hint, when organized crime infiltrates the SEC and the DOJ, lawyers never lose a penny. Read up about lawyers at http://www.jaactv.com
Oh, I am sorry I omitted the part. HE DIED and you tell me its NOT VICTIMLESS.
You’re right Rafflaw—it was a pretty cheap price. Makes me wonder if he was being pressured. People will do anything to keep their families safe, Just a thought.
Also, Anon- that is a terrible story. I hope you and your son are doing better.
As horrible a tragedy as what happenned may be, however, the crime is still victimless. You were hurt because of your son’s choices and immoderation, not because of his crime of possessing the drugs. I could overdose on aspirin if I wanted to. Drugs don’t do people, people do drugs.
I’m disappointed that the picture appears to be one of a cigarette and not a real joint.
And even if it is real, the roller is pitiful.
In a Texas Discipline Proceeding that advanced to the Supreme Court and it achieved a right outcome is as follows:
In the context of attorney discipline, we have consistently held that crimes of moral turpitude must involve dishonesty, fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or deliberate violence, or must reflect adversely on an attorney’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as an attorney. . . . Therefore, under the analysis we established in . . . ., we look solely to the elements of . . . [the attorney named]crime to determine if those elements involve any of the kinds of acts or characteristics encompassed within our definition of moral turpitude. The elements of the applicable criminal statute are that the defendant knowingly or intentionally possessed a controlled substance listed in Texas Health & Safety Code § 481.102. See Tex. Health & Safety Code § 481.115(a). Because the elements of this crime do not involve dishonesty, fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, deliberate violence, or reflect adversely on an attorney’s honesty or trustworthiness, to fall under our definition of moral turpitude, simple possession of a controlled substance, without the intent to distribute or sell, must reflect adversely on a lawyer’s fitness generally.
The other killer part of the decision was of disclosure to a client of any convictions and or disciplinary proceedings. The end result in this case was. Because it was deferred it did not have to be disclosed.
Well it can be found, so I guess it only apply after the fact. But if you have an internet savvy client or an ass on the other side of the case. I do bleieve that it could cause an Undue Hardship on this person or their client especially if the relationship breaks down.
I do believe that in this instant case, this attorney has other issues to which he will be faced before he has this problem.
That was a pretty cheap price to “sell” your law license for. I do wonder sometimes how stupid people can really be. I don’t know the convicted attorney and I don’t know his situation, but no matter how bad it may have been, it wasn’t worth his license to practice law. Of course, the loss of his law license may look small when he is contemplating prison time.
Minnesota has a program in the St Paul area called LCL, Lawyers Caring for Lawyers. Texas does as well, believe it or not in the Dallas area. I believe that it is based upon the 12 Steps and Principals of Alcoholics Anonymous.
They are inclusive of Depression (No 1 Offender for Attorneys), Alcohol, Narcotic Abuse, Over Eating and any associative disorder that affects an attorney ability to function.
I know because I went through the Depression issue after my only son OD’d on prescription “medication.” I figured what the use why live. What I thought was most important, seemed less important anymore.
Drug Abuse or Use is not a Victimless Crime. It just depends upon which side of the Food Chain you are looking at it from.
I would appreciate if you would look at all sides before any rash statements are made. I have heard this before and not sure if I truly understand the words but “Hell suffers a Fool”