LAWRENCE COUNTY Disbarred New Castle lawyer must hand over pending cases

This is the second time the attorney has been disbarred by the state Supreme Court.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A New Castle attorney who has been disbarred will have to turn all of his pending cases over to other attorneys.
Lawrence County Court Administrator Philip Boudewyns said President Judge Ralph Pratt will issue a court order instructing George P. Micacchione, 54, to withdraw as legal counsel in all his pending criminal and civil cases. The number of cases pending was not available from court officials.
Micacchione was disbarred Monday by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court at the recommendation of the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court.
The board issued a report Sept. 20, 2001, recommending Micacchione be disbarred after an investigation of a 1999 case involving a medical malpractice lawsuit in Lawrence County.
According to the report, Micacchione failed to "advise his clients of the dismissal of their matter and for nearly five years lied to them that their case was moving along when he knew it was dismissed."
Settled out of court: Court documents said Micacchione eventually settled out of court with his clients for $50,000, who filed a malpractice lawsuit against their attorney.
The report issued by the disciplinary board noted that Micacchione had also been disbarred in 1980 for "conduct strikingly similar to this case -- he neglected matters entrusted him for extended periods of time and subsequently lied or misrepresented material facts to clients concerning their cases."
He was reinstated as an attorney Sept. 12, 1989, according to Paul Burgoyne, deputy chief disciplinary counsel for the state Supreme Court.
According to Burgoyne, Micacchione must wait five years before he can petition the state to allow him to practice law again. Burgoyne noted that the disciplinary board has never had an attorney disbarred twice ask to be reinstated.
Micacchione's attorney, William Panella, said he is unable to comment on the matter because of state's rules of professional responsibility.