(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Lawyer accused of filing false documents with the court faces sanctions [1]
['Clark Kauffman', 'More From Author', '- October']
Date: 2022-10-17
A central Iowa lawyer accused of providing false information to the court is facing a possible 18-month suspension of his law license.
In November 2021, the Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board alleged that Jeffrey Janssen of Des Moines had violated the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct by pursuing frivolous claims that were not grounded in fact and by engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
The board alleged that in 2016, while representing Victor Rodriguez in a Union County child-support case, Janssen filed a motion to disqualify the opposing attorney, claiming the other lawyer had a “personal vendetta” against Rodriguez, and then filed a motion to quash a legitimate subpoena for information.
A district court judge later sanctioned Janssen, saying the two motions had no basis in fact or in the law.
The board also accused Janssen violating the Rules of Professional Conduct in his 2017 representation of Chloe Lockhart, a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves, in a Polk County child-custody matter. In that case, Janssen allegedly told Lockhart she did not need to show up for the trial even though she was available to do so, according to the board. He had Lockhart submit a letter to the court falsely indicating she was stationed in Indiana and could not attend the trial as scheduled, the board alleged.
He also was accused of signing a letter on behalf of Lockhart’s commanding officer, indicating Lockhart was on a military base in Indiana when in fact she was in Iowa.
Earlier this year, the disciplinary charges against Janssen went before the Grievance Commission of the Iowa Supreme Court for a hearing. Janssen opted not to participate in the proceedings – a decision the commission said was “troubling” and an “aggravating factor” in the case against him.
Noting that Janssen’s conduct in the Polk County case “arguably contributed to an adverse child-custody change for Ms. Lockhart,” the commission recommended to the Iowa Supreme Court that Janssen’s law license be suspended for 18 months.
Last month, the Iowa Attorney Disciplinary Board filed papers concurring with the commission’s recommendation. The board echoed the commission’s statement that Janssen’s “complete failure to participate” in the disciplinary proceedings “mocks the disciplinary process” and casts serious doubt on his commitment to change his behavior and adhere to professional standards.
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