Bad Lawyer-Cad Lawyer Follow Up

Back in June I related the story of the Oregon Super (Real Estate) Lawyer who under the influence of one too many cocktails sexually assaulted an opposing counsel at a cocktail party reception for a Portland, Oregon law firm.  Above the Law tips us to the Oregonian's follow up story on Jack Levy (pic, on the far left with his attorney) who entered a plea to misdemeanor charges in Portland Superior Court, and gets two years probation.  As you will recall, this was an alcohol-fueled come-on to by Levy to a young female attorney he was supposed to meet the next day at the site of a lawsuit the two were involved in.  This lawyer got real lucky--let's see if the Oregon disciplinary authorities take separate action.

Lawyer Disbarred for Sex Behind Bars-Update

Bad Lawyer reported this story last Saturday, and this morning the excellent law "blawg" Legal Profession Blog has the update, details, and a link to the opinion relating to disbarment of the West Virginia lawyer, G. Patrick Stanton, who was caught receiving sexual favors while visiting a female inmate in a prison "multi-use" room.

Mr. Stanton served as Marion County Assistant Prosecutor. Stanton served as president of the Marion County Bar Association and he was in private practice with his wife, Shirley Stanton.  In 1998, Mr. Stanton was honored by the West Virginia State Bar Association as the recipient of its annual Kauffman Award, which recognizes outstanding representation of indigent clients in the state of West Virginia.

As I said in the original post, the outrage of the disciplinary authorities was at this lawyer's use of his legal license to selfishly exploit another.  Isn't this the case when any lawyer sexually exploits a client or a client's spouse?  So why is it that sexual misconduct against or with clients customarily subjected to minimal discipline compared to financial offenses?