Latest Scandal! Comic Book Dealer Disbarred As Lawyer!!!!

[WallStreet Trader-migratio]

I was "more curious" about the liklihood (and process) of Civil action from his former clients.... assuming they wanted more than just thier original principal back... if he did in fact "profit" from his actions?? Don't Civil Lawsuits generally follow Criminal Litigation, or the lack thereof ? I assume in Criminal charges, they are looking for jail time... in Civil charges, they are looking for cold hard cash ?? If this whole mess started 2 years ago, whats the time frame on CIVIL lawsuits ?? Not looking for very specific answers, just a general idea how it works ?? I find it ODD that Doug has not responded to any of the "Speculation" on the boards. He obviously knows about it, and you would think he'd want to clear his name as best one can........ unless he can't talk about it because of CIVIL proceedings on the way ? Tell me if I'm way off base ??

[RCComix]

Wow, as a newcomer to these boards, I find this particular discussion very disturbing, yet also very informative. As a former collector (20+years ago), picking up the hobby again, this and other threads I have been reading over the past months make me want to re-pack the longboxes and come back in another 20 years.

 

E-bay scams, pressing, and I guess the list goes on and on...not that the hobby I knew was filled with saints, but clearly one has to be very careful with whom one does business with these days. Yikes!! For a newcomer, that is the really scary part. The education continues....

Russ

[buttock]

Wow. The guy robbed an old lady (and more) and people are defending him.

 

Un...freaking...believable.

[WallStreet Trader-migratio]

Russ,

Don't worry too much ..... at the rate we're going lately, they'll be another Scandal to take this one's place before too long. It's become like Melrose Place in this Hobby. Excuse me.... BUSINESS!! And if your'e "privy" to any juicy information about the "NEXT" scandal, don't dare post that information on these boards before everybody knows about it... or you're liable to get Ripped to Shreds like I did when I posted Slanderous comments about Ewert's Business Ethics in December 2004! Since then, I only come back to read about the new Scandals... and the results of prior ones

[lighthouse]

Red,

 

How do you feel about him helping one of his clients avoid paying child support?

 

Was he representing the client ot not?

 

Actually he would be required to help one of his clients avoid paying child support. Just as a CPA is required to help his clients avoid paying taxes...

 

Evading them... now that's another matter entirely.

 

 

 

As far as the original post goes, it certainly doesn't leave a good taste in one's mouth. But I doubt it's a sign that comic dealers (or citizens in general) today are any less ethical than they have been in the past. The internet provides such a ridiculous information-gathering opportunity that it is nearly impossible for people to hide their skeletons. We have all done things we aren't proud of. And we will all continue to do so. No matter how good our intentions may be, it's going to happen.

 

With the exabytes of data now just a google-search away, and millions of people banging away at their keyboards like Shakespeare-writing monkeys, skeletons don't stay secret for long...

 

This board, in particular, has an industry-wide reputation for viciously seeking out scandals and scams in the comic community. That reputation is so strong (and frankly so well deserved) that hundreds of potential forumites stay away from the boards because of the negativity. I am not suggesting that the witches don't need to be burned, they do. But I have personally spoken with a dozen "casual" forum visitors just in the last few months who commented on the fact that they didn't join the discussion because it seemed like all they ever saw was people ripping scam artists a new one.

 

It is almost to the point (or perhaps past the point by now) that the Moderators should consider setting up a separate forum here on the boards just for the scams and scandals, in the hopes that the rest of the boards could be more collector-friendly. In the early days of this board, you would see guys like Rickdogg occasionally catching a scammer in the act, and we would all chime in briefly, and we would add him to the list of sellers to avoid, and then we would go back to talking about comics. In amongst the comic talk, many of us became friends. Some business was conducted, and a Kudos thread was started to report on how well everything turned out. But "Comics General" was chock full of people talking about comics. If a topic was really specific, like Marvel's Price Variants, it wound up in the separate Bronze Forums. So did Greggy's thread on whether Bronze Comic valuations were strongly linked to cover art (still greggy's finest contribution to these forums).

 

Take a trip around the Water Cooler, the Age-specific boards, the Grading forum... Count how many posters you see there that you never see in "General" any more. Count how many of them actually state that the reason they don't read "General" is because of the negativity. It's easy to say that the level of negativity has increased in direct proportion to the number of lawyers we have posting. It's also easy to say that the level of negativity has increased in direct proportion to the amount of scandals that need to be reported. People need to know about Ewert, no doubt about that. Just as they needed to know about Dupcak. I am not as convinced that people need to know about Doug's situation, I am not suggesting the information shouldn't have been available, but there is a difference between the need to tell everyone you see bidding on comic-keys auctions about his history and the need to tell everyone who is shopping with Doug about his...

 

I don't know Doug. I have never bought from him, and I have never met him. After hearing he was disbarred I am glad he wasn't my lawyer. Do I think that affects whether he can be my comic dealer? I don't know. While I would be less likely to send him something on consignment, I don't know that I would think twice about buying from him. There are five people on this board who have sold items on consignment for me, and all of them met the "bag of uncounted money" test. The last three people I had sell stuff for me I didn't even have a written agreement with, and in one case I didn't even tell him a package was coming. I wouldn't have that same level of trust with Doug now. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't have any trust at all. "Key to my car", "Key to my house", "Alone with my wife who is passed out on Xanax", "Bag of Uncounted Money", "Alarm Code to my shop"... There are different levels of trust. And falling from one level doesn't mean you have blown it all...

 

Doug wasn't a very good lawyer. They told him he couldn't be one any more. I am not so certain that means he can't be a good comic dealer.

 

What I am certain of, is that this board used to be a lot more fun than it is now. And it used to be a lot easier to convince comic folks to come here and hang out and share their knowledge and their opinions. It used to be a lot easier to come spend an hour chatting with friends and learning about comics. Heck, it used to be fun reading JC's crash threads because they were about the only negative things to be found. The occasional "outing" of a guy like st1ckwizard, while necessary, didn't take over the board.

 

Perhaps it's time to consider a separate forum just for these threads. A separate area for the info that "needs" to be out there. A separate area for info about scam artists, thieves, and the like...

 

Because as it is now, a first-time visitor to the CGC Forums looks over a list of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Modern, Grading, Marketplace, Original Art, and Comics General. They click on Comics General to see what's going on, and all they find is discussion of criminals...

 

Is that really what "Comics General" should be about?

[uclapeterg]

Red,

 

How do you feel about him helping one of his clients avoid paying child support?

 

Was he representing the client ot not?

 

Actually he would be required to help one of his clients avoid paying child support. Just as a CPA is required to help his clients avoid paying taxes...

 

 

Having worked on other people's taxes and being a CPA, taxes aren't as cut and dry as you think. There is a lot of "gray area" where my former firm wanted to be really aggressive to the point of making me uncomfortable. I believe everybody should pay their "fair share" and shouldn't have to pay less because they can afford a CPA.

[BassGMan]

Wow. The guy robbed an old lady (and more) and people are defending him.

 

Un...freaking...believable.

 

Well, I think it is all about the relationship some people have with this guy. Ask yourself, if YOU had a friend who you had also had many honest dealings with, and then your friend was busted on a serious ethics charge unrelated to any of the dealings you have had with him in a completely different area of business, would you then completely turn all of your business away? It would be very easy to say that you would, but as we can see here, when it really DOES happen to someone you know and trust, it is not always that way. Personally, I have a friend who I believe is ethically challenged in some areas (not comics). Although I do not support him in those ways, I know that I can trust him 100%.

 

It's a fine line here. I would not do business with Doug again (I had bought four books from Pedigree - three of them Burntboy books), but I actually admire those who have stood up to say that they will continue to do so (those that are friends of his) NOT because I condone business with disbarred attorney/comic dealers, but moreso because they are being honest about their feelings and are willing to take the unpopular stand and admit to it.

[buttock]

Wow. The guy robbed an old lady (and more) and people are defending him.

 

Un...freaking...believable.

 

Well, I think it is all about the relationship some people have with this guy. Ask yourself, if YOU had a friend who you had also had many honest dealings with, and then your friend was busted on a serious ethics charge unrelated to any of the dealings you have had with him in a completely different area of business, would you then completely turn all of your business away? It would be very easy to say that you would, but as we can see here, when it really DOES happen to someone you know and trust, it is not always that way. Personally, I have a friend who I believe is ethically challenged in some areas (not comics). Although I do not support him in those ways, I know that I can trust him 100%.

 

It's a fine line here. I would not do business with Doug again (I had bought four books from Pedigree - three of them Burntboy books), but I actually admire those who have stood up to say that they will continue to do so (those that are friends of his) NOT because I condone business with disbarred attorney/comic dealers, but moreso because they are being honest about their feelings and are willing to take the unpopular stand and admit to it.

 

I'm not talking business - there's not a whole lot of room for ethics there, I just can't believe anyone is trying to minimize what he did. Let's call a spade a spade and say that the guy robbed an old lady. He should be in jail.

[The Black Hand ®]

Get use to the minimizing of scandals, this board is loaded with apologist and you just have to wonder what their agenda is.

[AussieRuss]

Hello Everyone.

 

Just wanted to throw in my 10 cents worth after reading through thid thread.

 

I began purchasing Pedigree'd books from Doug in 2004. I think that his web site may have just opened up around this time. I had only just started seiously collecting comics & knew a lot less about the hobby than I know today. It has now been a several months since my last purchase from Pedigree but I can say that Doug has always been there with to lend support, give advise & show flexibility with my collecting style.

 

He has helped me with pricing queries with regard to comics from other sellers and been one of the rare breed that want to help out fellow comic collectors.

 

I am not ignoring what has transpired. He has now lost the ability to practice what he was educated to do.

 

People may choose to be wary of financial dealing with him & thats the individuals personal choice.

 

My feelings are that I would have no problem buying or selling books through Doug.

 

His help & support to a then "newbie" gives him good status in my books.

 

Maybe its being naive but I have no problem seperating his two careers at this point.

 

Regards,

Russ.

Melbourne. Australia.

[BassGMan]

Get use to the minimizing of scandals, this board is loaded with apologist and you just have to wonder what their agenda is.

 

Don't always assume it is an agenda. Call it a difference of opinion or different point of view based off of different life experiences. If it wasn't for that, then every single person here who ever had a strong opinion about anything could be accused of having an agenda. Geez, lighten up with the accusations.

 

[comicdonna]

I have just read all 26 pages. I have never done business with Doug. Is what bothers me the most, is that Doug has not come forward with a statement in this thread. I would think, that it would be very important for him, to at least attempt to regain the board members trust.

[esquirecomics]

Mark, all i am saying is that to me, he has redeemed himself over the past two years i have known him...how long does redemption take? Have you got a timetable for that as well?

You are in his circle, so you have a different perspective on this than i do. To me it's a job and i expect the same from every level of employee, from garbage man to laywer man. If i did not make any points worthy of the forum, so be it.... i am tired (full day at work), rushing (going to pick up my daughter) and trying to process all the posts and put in my 2 cents. to re-iterate....happened years ago, did it not? It's just that we found out about it today. To me it's a relic that will haunt him...I'm still gonna deal with the guy as i believe in 2nd chances.

 

I understand what you are saying. It is not clear from the decision what period of time we are talking about but I presume it is more than 2 years ago as that was approximately when Doug moved to FL and abandoned his NY law practice.

 

I don't know if he has redeemed himself or not. Has he done anything suspect, unethical or illegal with respect to his comic book practice? I don't know. He presses. He resubs. He discloses neither unless, apparently, asked. I don't like either, and I might consider them to fall within a suspect or unethical category, but that is totally a personal opinion and reasonable people clearly differ.

 

Personally, I don't think anything Doug has done since leaving NY serves to redeem himself for these actions. The clock for redemption started ticking yesterday when we found out about the decision and the conduct. Now, I, for one, would certainly take into consideration his conduct, to the extent I know it, and his dealings with people since the time he left NY, but that by itself is not even close to being sufficient.

 

The trust we had for Doug did not erode until yesterday. So his past actions cannot truly repair the damage. Time is a mitigating factor only. Just recently the US Army punished a deserter who fled back in the 1960s and was just recently identified. The sentence was mitigated due to the passage of time, but he was still punished. Part of what is taking into consideration is the life he spent and contributions he made during the time on the run. But even if he had been a priest or rabbi, he would still have received some level of punishment b/c that is how our system does and needs to work.

 

As I said, I also agree on giving second chances. But those are earned, not awarded. There is ample room for Doug to start earning his integrity and respect back. I hope he does.

 

BTW, I just realized that this post above was my 3,000 one!!!

 

Too bad it was in such a serious and depressing thread.

[Ze-man]

Because as it is now, a first-time visitor to the CGC Forums looks over a list of Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, Modern, Grading, Marketplace, Original Art, and Comics General. They click on Comics General to see what's going on, and all they find is discussion of criminals...

 

I would say quite the contrary, when I first joined the forum my eyes were opened to a vast array of topics, that while disturbing at the time to my newbie take on our hobby.. were VERY vital to me as a collector trying to learn the in's and out's of today convoluted market.

Do we need more rooms on the forum?..perhaps.

 

I say let the newbies wade through the muck of Comics General just like the rest of us...the topics that need to be, or at least those that we choose to run with... DO...get the pub they deserve.

And if left to a room of their own, their message might never reach the masses.

 

edit..I personally only make time to peruse General, if I dwell in other forums.. I lose hours by the bucketful looking at pretty scans..

 

Ze-

[comicartfan]

The people that manipulate this hobby make me sick to my stomach, and not the actual hobby.

 

There are many good people in this hobby, but we seem to dwell only on the negative ones.

 

If something positive/good happens no big deal, but when something scandelous/negative happens its always and in the spotlight.

 

[Ze-man]

A moment of levity

A post from the Coin room.

 

Michael, you really made me laugh with this one! Your enthusiasm and wonderful explanations are unparalelled by anyone, anywhere!

 

By far!

 

I bet the luster on this beauty must be off the charts!

 

 

 

Hayden

[LearnedHand]

To play the devil’s advocate, I’m curious about something:

 

Many posts are very opinionated, even though the posters barely know Schmell at all (I do not know him at all). And some people are taking the position that they might deal with him if he takes overt steps toward rebuilding his reputation. All these are fair points, and I’ve said elsewhere how I feel about any honor code violations committed by attorneys. And, I’m not given to believing that people can change when it comes to fundamental human qualities, such as honor and integrity, but this is just my opinion.

 

In any event, I would like to take a poll to see how many of these posters have an alter-ego (Black Hearted Dwarf – feel free to, but you need not answer, as I think I already know where you stand on this issue). Let’s call the name of this alter-ego “Hypocrite.” To know if you have this alter-ego, simply provide (either publicly or to yourself) a “yes” or “no” to the following question:

 

Knowing that one of the principles of a premier auction house was found to have committed certain ethical violations - have you, or do you, support (even speaking in a positive way on these Boards about upcoming auction items qualifies here), sell through, or bid/purchase from this auction house?

 

 

BTW - this is my 100th post!!

[Foolkiller]

Don't sell through Heritage. Never pumped a Heritage auction (have been impressed with material they've had there though, who wouldn't be). May have bought one or two items from Heritage well before the Forbes article on Halperin. Won't buy from them ever again (though not necessarily related to Halperin though...)

[comicartfan]

As most people know, I don't deal in comics. I haven't for quite some time and probably won't go back to them...in a collecting sense. I also have never met Doug or done any type of transaction with him.

 

That being said, I would like to chime into this discussion. As I read some of the posts on here, some supportive and others not so much, I am also in a unique postion (like a lawyer or physican) in that I have a postion of trust and high expetations with the public. It was mentioned that lawyers have enough problems with image and how the public sees them (back stabbers, ambulance chasers, etc...) , I have a career that is generally highly respected in general. I am an ICU nurse. I have people's lives in the balance, usually in the highest acute setting. Families are counting on us to take care of their loved ones....and when that trust gets broken, whether it's through malice or not, it can be very difficult to overcome that hurdle.

There are always stories of the nurse that intentionally killed his/her patient or the nurse that was swiping medication away from their patients to feed thier own drug habit. It happens, it's not pretty and there is punishment....RN loses their licence to practice....Just like an attorney....

And when this happens, it's devasting. Personally and professionally. There is lost years of income, years of schooling and tuition down the drain and the stigma attached...Then there is the humilation. The fact that your collegues and friends know.....

To come onto a message board that is suppossed to be about a hobby and find that your personal file is on display and being discussed to the ninth degree is a little upsetting to say the least. Sure, just because we have the information (public record) and we have a right to discuss it, doesn't mean we should.....at least to the length that these boards go to. This is still a person and from what I gather, a sensitive person with a family....and we should keep those things in mind while we post. It's so easy for people to sling mud, hiding behind their keyboards.....it's not a victimless act to bad mouth people on here just because you can't see their reaction.

I also think that Doug should come on here, maybe not tell his side, but clear the air. And not hide in seclusion ala' Ewert.

 

I can see that already people's intial posts and the follow up ones are very different in tone. No longer is it "off with his head" ! There is an aura of forgiveness to some of the harsest critics that I think is encouraging.

The lawyers on here are the ones that need to really decide whether or not they feel comfortable in doing buisness with Doug or not. That is a completly indivual thing and no one can fault them either way.

 

I don't know what happened, nor do I really truly care. I think that he screwed up in a big way and he paid a big price....Now let's realize that there were mistakes, there is such a thing as a "gray area" and now Doug has decided to move from law to a different type of buisness and we need to either accept him or not.

I think that we should give him the benefit of the doubt, move foward (move with caution, but still move foward ) and go from there.

 

I just think that the comic collecting community has been hit really bad this year and although we will lose colletors, hopefully those that stick with the hobby will be stronger...and smarter

 

And that is my two cents

[esquirecomics]

Knowing that one of the principles of a premier auction house was found to have committed certain unethical violations - have you, or do you, support (even speaking in a positive way on these Boards about upcoming auction items qualifies here), sell through, or bid/purchase from this auction house?

 

I posted the FTC report on the fine Halperin received last Spring I believe. Easy enough to find either through these boards or the FTC website. And, yes, it is one of the factors in my pulling away from Heritage.

 

I think, however, that there is a difference, and people can differ on the degree, between an owner in a larger corporation who most people would not be dealing with and a sole proprietor who has full control over everything.

 

 

BTW - this is my 100th post!!

 

I hit 3,000 today!