Flabby-Assed County Attorney Suspended

Well there is another account of an attorney alleging screwing the client and the disciplinary (this time in Iowa) authorities treating the offense as something less than the heinous act that it is.  Jesse Marzen drew an indefinite suspension not to exceed 6 months.  This elected official represented a mentally ill woman in his seperate private practice and according to her engaged in sexual realtions with her in lieu of attorney fees.  She described his buttocks as "flabby."

At the time the allegations surfaced, Marzen was in a race for Floyd County attorney which he won.  Marzen disclosed intimate and confidential information about his client to the media.  The Iowa disciplinary authorities sanctioned this guy for those disclosures but dismissed the sexual misconduct charges, as "not proved."  I linked the Iowas Supreme Court opinion and you can see for yourself why I think this guy got a huge break on the sexual misconduct charges. 

It is abundantly clear from the evidence that Marzen and the woman called "Jane Doe" in the Iowa Supreme Court opinion had a personal relationship.  She says Marzen had repeated sexual intercourse with her. 

She descirbes his buttocks and his unclothed appearance as being that of someone who has lost an enormous amount of weight and carrying skin folds around his waist and buttocks.  Marzen weighed 350 pounds in school and weighs half that now.   She also describes a mole on his back, which he admitted he has, but claims she "could have seen" at the town pool or while he was cutting his grass which he says he does shirtless.   Various witnesses claim to have seen him at her house, even exiting a bedroom with her.  She described the layout of his house in detail, but he denies that she waas ever in his home, but he acknowleges being in her home on several occasions, "purely business."

What is apparent, is that Marzen set himself up.  His accuser suffers from at least one diagnosed mental defect and Marzen handled his relationship with her in a way that invited the allegations which may be true, at least one of the hearing panel memebers thought the allegations were proved.  Iowa's Supeme Court found credibility "problems with both Marzen and Doe." 

In the end, Marzen's sanction came from telling a local television channel that his client had had a sexual relationship with a probation officer and that she did not pay his fee bill.  Both matters were subject to professional obligations to maintain confidentiality.  Mr. Marzen was throwing mud on his client to deflect her accusations because Marzen was in a political contest for County attorney.   Look, however you look at it, Jesse Marzen screwed his client.  His 6 month suspension is a trravesty.

Oh, and she is suing him. 

Let me repeat myself, don't screw the client!