G. MICHAEL WITTE NAMED DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Disciplinary Commission Executive Secretary, Michael Witte.
G. Michael Witte, former Dearborn County Judge, has been named the Indiana Disciplinary Commission Executive Secretary. The Disciplinary Commission is the agency that investigates and prosecutes alleged attorney misconduct. The Indiana Supreme Court approved naming Judge Witte as the agency head, confirming a recommendation from the nine-member Indiana Disciplinary Commission.
Indiana Chief Justice Randall T. Shepard said, “Mike Witte has dedicated his career to public service, and I am pleased he will spend the next chapter of his legal career leading the Disciplinary Commission. He is well known to attorneys across Indiana as thoughtful and fair and energetic.” Those same qualifications were apparent to the Disciplinary Commission who recommended Witte’s appointment. Disciplinary Commission Chair Corinne Finnerty explained, “Judge Witte has a broad range of experience, including a respected national reputation for judicial leadership. We are confident he will use his management skills to ensure the integrity of the Indiana legal profession is maintained.”
When Judge Witte accepted the Executive Secretary position he said, “Indiana attorneys expect and deserve a Commission dedicated to upholding the highest standards of professionalism. I pledge to continue working to maintain the level of excellence our state demands of its attorneys. It is an honor to serve the state and I look forward to working with the investigators and staff as well as the nine-member Commission.”
The majority of Judge Witte’s career was spent serving the Dearborn Superior Court. He was elected to the bench in 1985 and served through 2008. He was the first Asian-American to serve as judge in the state of Indiana. In March 2009, the Supreme Court appointed him to serve as temporary judge of Wayne Superior Court 1. He currently serves as a Senior Judge and dedicates time to national professional associations.
Judge Witte is the chair-elect of the American Bar Association Judicial Division and will become chair of the Division in August. He is an Indiana University School of Law- Indianapolis graduate and a nationally recognized speaker in the field of diversity. He served as a panelist for the American Bar Association program “Achieving a Diverse Judiciary and Its Impact on Public Confidence in the Judicial System.” He also spoke at Harvard Law School for the American Bar Association program “Obtaining and Retaining a Diverse Judiciary.” He served on the Indiana Commission on Courts from 2005-2007 and was named the 2008 Distinguished Asian Alumni by the Indiana University Asian Alumni Association.
The long-time Disciplinary Commission Executive Secretary, Donald Lundberg, retired from the position in December 2009. The nine-member Commission, which includes both lawyers and citizen members, immediately began working to find an appropriate candidate to fill the role of Executive Secretary. The Commission chose to have the entire body play a role in the search, rather than appoint a sub-committee dedicated to the mission.
The Commission received 24 applications and began vetting potential candidates. In February, the Commission reviewed the applications submitted. In March, discussion on the applications continued. The Commission selected approximately ten candidates to interview and the process of meeting with those ten candidates began in April. In May, the Commission selected Judge Witte as the Executive Secretary and the Indiana Supreme Court approved his appointment.
Mr. Witte is expected to begin working in mid-June. As Disciplinary Commission Executive Secretary he will work with agency staff and the nine-member Commission to ensure members of the Indiana bar uphold the Rules of Professional Conduct. He will lead the agency that investigates and prosecutes cases of alleged attorney misconduct. The Indiana Supreme Court has final authority over all attorney discipline cases.
Supreme Court of Indiana
For immediate release May 10, 2010
Contact Kathryn Dolan
317-234-4722
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4 comments:
He was a dope and flop in the end.
His tenure was rocky and his abilities and decisions where questioned with led him to retaliate against those who claimed to be falsely accused, including Atty. Patrick Rocchio, Top state prosecutor Robert Neary (https://wsbt.com/news/local/attorney-suspended-for-4-years-for-eavesdropping-on-suspects-11-07-2017), local Indianapolis blogger and attorney Paul Ogden (http://www.ogdenonpolitics.com/2013/07/hearing-provides-more-evidence-that.html), and many others including the first black State Attorney General Curtis Hill (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/us/politics/curtis-hill-indiana-attorney-
general.html#:~:text=Curtis%20T.,at%20a%20party%20in%202018). Another Italian lawyer who felt attacked or targeted by witte, Indianapolis' state prosecuting attorney Carl Brizzi cried foul as well at a press conference. https://cbs4indy.com/news/former-marion-county-prosecutor-cries-foul-over-pending-disciplinary-charges/. Again defending the charges only brought more prosecutorial vigor. In criminal cases retaliation by prosecutors is prosecutorial misconduct, but in Indiana and elsewhere lawyers are not afforded the benefits of criminal procedure in ethics cases which are governed by special rules, known as the Rules of Professional conduct which expressly deny lawyers the rights, ironically, that they have over decades have sought for their clients.
One online post referring to one victim of Witte, Attorney Rocchio as a good lawyer, reads: "Great man, Great Lawyer, Truth is he was witch-hunted by G. Michael Witte a “knuckhead” of the highest order! Go Pat go!! Justice requires all Indians Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Cases be overturned and the victims of Witte paid damages.. Hate Crimes happened in Indiana against good lawyers by a racist government official named Gordon Michael Witte and Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court Loretta Rush allowed it. https://nicelocal.com/michigan/law/rocchio_patrick_k/
Another tweet shared how demented Witte was in public and paranoid even,"This week at a CLE, "Judge" G. Michael Witte said Mr. Patrick Rocchio was "trolling him even to this day." Can you say JLAP?" JLAP is there to help mentally stressed or deranged lawyer and judges like Witte. https://twitter.com/actor_american/status/899026355534385154
In February 2021, Witte retired from his career as the first Asian Executive Director of the Indiana Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Commission. He is now a senior judge by order of Loretta Rush. https://www.in.gov/courts/files/order-judges-2021-21S-MS-49.pdf
By making him a senior judge, he remains immune from lawsuits for his past illegal acts. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCOURTS-insd-1_16-cv-03483
Too many allege that he violated their civil rights to be ignored. Many of whome where amoung Indiana's better lawyers, while Witte and his AD Commission failed to address or stop many real bad, criminally convicted lawyers over who he was empowered to regulate, such as Eric Marshall of South Bend and William F. Conour of Indianapolis who voluntarily surrendered law licenses after being convicted of serious felony crimes that Witte allowed to occur while incompetently going down rabbit holes, wasting resources attacking target victims/enemies. https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/south-bend-attorney-sentenced-to-over-10-years-in-prison-for-defrauding-clients; https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ex-lawyer
I still look at the obituaries and can't wait to read Witte's////Hell awaits this clown and bad seed.
Honorable before his name is a fraud on its face. He is one sick fella from who has crawled back in his hole, where he hides.
Now, Indiana Chief Justice Rush lies on her disclosures which is a crime of dishonesty?
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