Disregarded fees bring suspensions of law licenses

Some of those whose licenses were suspended aren't practicing law now.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
A license to practice law is like a driver's license, says Judge Gene Donofrio: Renew it before it expires, or you'll pay more to have it reinstated.
Some lawyers in Ohio are paying the price this week after the state Supreme Court suspended 13,800 licenses Dec. 2 for failure to pay $300 biennium registration fees, which were due Sept. 1. The attorneys can be reinstated, but there's an additional $250 charge.
The list includes the names of 24 lawyers from Mahoning County -- including Judge Donofrio of the 7th District Court of Appeals -- 18 from Trumbull County and six from Columbiana County.
Judge Donofrio said his license was reinstated Tuesday.
Oversight, embarrassment
"It was an oversight on my part," he said. When the forms were mailed to him earlier this year, "I set it aside and forgot about it."
It's the first time the Ohio Supreme Court has taken such action. Judge Donofrio doesn't think it was drastic. "Everybody had fair warning," he said. "It's something that has to be done. I guess we have no one to blame but ourselves."
The lapsed licenses should have no effect on court cases if attorneys act quickly, Judge Donofrio said: "A temporary lapse would not make any difference as long as you weren't performing your legal function at that time."
Judges are required to have current law licenses, Judge Donofrio said.
Raymond Tarasuck Jr., an assistant Mahoning County prosecutor, was taken off the payroll Tuesday because of the lapsed license, Prosecutor Paul J. Gains said. Tarasuck drove to Columbus to pay his fee and was reinstated Wednesday, Gains said.
John Gamble, an assistant Columbiana County prosecutor, also had his license suspended. Gamble said Tuesday he had forgotten to submit the fee but sent it by overnight mail to Columbus. He said the suspension was embarrassing.
No plans to renew
Some of those who made the list aren't practicing attorneys now. Jeffrey L. Chagnot, development director in Youngstown's Office of Economic Development, said he hasn't practiced law since 1992 and is not planning to renew his license.
Others on the list already were under suspensions. Maridee L. Costanzo is serving an eight-year prison sentence for trying to pay someone to kill her estranged husband, Warren attorney Roger Bauer.
In November, the Supreme Court indefinitely suspended the license of former Trumbull County Prosecutor J. Walter Dragelevich, who was convicted in 2001 of car odometer tampering.
XContributor: D.A. Wilkinson, Vindicator Salem Bureau.