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

[BronzeBruce13]

You make some points that are hard to ignore Brian. He does have comic assests. That also assures that if push came to shove, he could replenish what he inappropriately borrowed. Maybe that was his thinking and back up plan.

 

Could he be that addicted to collecting? That was the word on him before I knew him.

 

I'm going to the post office and pop some Xanax... good night/morning.

 

[FatComicMafia]

Reading about Mr. Schmell being disbarred is troubling.

 

However, I think a very important issue relating to these boards,... should be Doug's comic dealings as well. I think that should be more of a focus. I am not a close friend of Doug's, however, I bought and sold several high end books with Doug during 2004, and 2005. I personally, received my books in a brisk manner. I also received my payments in a quick fashion.

That's all I have to say about the matter.

[WallStreet Trader-migratio]

Post deleted by WallStreet Trader

[Point Five]

If so, would that be like a treasurer of an organization taking a loan from the account with intent to put it back. It would be against the rules I'm sure, but if the cash was put back would any harm really be done except the breaking of the rule?

 

That sounds eerily like the actions of the businessman in A Contract with God...and it probably won't surprise you to know what Will Eisner's assessment was of such a person.

 

Sorry to hear about this, folks.

[Foolkiller]

minor screwups don't get you disbarred. Pattern of intentional, willful misconduct does.

[Crackandpresstoan11]

My favorite part....

 

"Charges 46 and 47 allege respondent assisted his clients in evading various liens, and child support and alimony payments"

 

He helped clients avoid paying child support. Still want to do business with him?

[Rob]

This pains me to weigh in on this. I really take no joy or pleasure in writing this, but I see from a lot of people I like and respect things like "let's wait and see" and "there's more to the story".

 

Guys, when there is a disciplinary hearing and the Court disbars you, this is not some rag tag group of guys who decided that Doug shouldn't practice law. This was a well investigated matter. Better than you, I or anyone else here is going to do. THERE IS NO OTHER SIDE TO THIS STORY! The story is Doug committed one of the gravest ethical violations you can commit as an attorney. Look, you can be convicted of crimes, do all sorts of stupid stuff and NOT GET DISBARRED. The language of the opinion is scathing. There is no "I'm an insufficiently_thoughtful_person defense". Doug offered no defense, no character witnesses aside from his father, and this was a REPEATED, WILLFUL, AND DELIBERATE pattern of behavior.

 

The reason lawyers are not allowed to comingle and misappropriate funds is because he treated clients' money like it was his own personal bank. And the risk is great that he will lose and not be able to replace it, as well as it's NOT his money.

 

If there was "another side to the story" I think Doug would have presented that in HIS FREAKIN' DISBARMENT HEARING! Look, while Doug may have been a "good guy" and friendly to you, me and everyone else, there is no way that I could ever trust him again. This pains me to say this. It pains me. I don't want to believe Doug could have been doing this. But he did. And now, just like the stand I took on Ewert, when there is clear evidence of fraud and cheating, and someone exhibits a pattern of behavior in 22 different instances, I cannot ignore it.

 

Nevertheless -- I was not going to comment publicly -- but when I saw some people that I know and like not taking this as seriously as I think it should be taken, I had to comment.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking when I was reading those posts. Sure, people are innocent until proven guilty, but who proves people innocent or guilty? LAWYERS! And the lawyers in charge have declared him guilty, so much so, that he's been disbarred. Case closed.

[Illiterati-migration]

minor screwups don't get you disbarred. Pattern of intentional, willful misconduct does.

 

FK, you can say this all you want, but your words are going to fall on deaf ears. These comic-addicted don't believe that ANYONE would do wrong until such a person whips it out and personally slaps them in the face with it.

[Crackandpresstoan11]

minor screwups don't get you disbarred. Pattern of intentional, willful misconduct does.

 

FK, you can say this all you want, but your words are going to fall on deaf ears. These comic-addicted don't believe that ANYONE would do wrong until such a person whips it out and personally slaps them in the face with it.

 

Even that wouldn't do it.

 

Paging sfilosa.......

[EastEnd]

OK, so which legitimate dealers do we have left? I'm having trouble keeping my rapidly deteriorating list up to date.

[CentaurMan]

Wow. That's really, really horrible. I don't chime in on many comic scandals, but I'm 100% behind FK on this one: Disbarrment is the death penalty for a lawyer. It's not done on a lark, and Doug had ample opportunity to present his side of the story to people who fully understood that they had the rarely-wielded power to end his career. And they still chose to lower the axe. Just a brutal outcome, meaning by inference that the violations committed were reprehensible.

 

If you know him personally and like him and are having trouble getting your arms around this, that's totally understandable. But you've got to respect that the people who made this decision weighed all the evidence and came down on the side of maximum punishment. And when someone has proven themselves to be untrustworthy, it's hard to partition it off to one aspect of their life and say the rest of their words/actions are on the up-and-up.

[drice6900]

Of course Doug is going to ensure his new enterprise is on the up-and-up, and that he builds new bridges throughout the comic book community. If you were in his situation and this was your fallback plan, wouldn't you try and do everything possible to make it successful?

 

The question is, for how long? I am sure the optimists among you will say he has turned over a new leaf. I certainly hope so. But if the day comes when your order isn't shipped or your check hasn't arrived, keep in mind that this thread was ample warning.

[The Black Hand ®]

OK, so which legitimate dealers do we have left? I'm having trouble keeping my rapidly deteriorating list up to date.

 

Comic book collecting was sketchy enough before the so called "Investment" community became involved along with CGC/Heritage. I saw this coming, you take a good thing and you squeeze every ounce of money and joy out of it and then you find something else to spoil.

[Red Hook]

I just got off the phone with Doug and as you would expect he is extremely upset that his friends and clients are hearing about these things in this manner. I'm just reporting, not editorializing at all at this point.

 

He did say a few things which he said I could post if I wished.

 

- He was not in partnership with his Dad. They shared office space but not business. He ran a sole proprietorship when he practiced law.

- He admitted to poor bookeeping practices and did not deny the charges. He said if he HAD been in practice with his father, he probably wouldn't have made the mistakes he did.

- He said that he just found out about this himself Monday, and that he has not practiced law for two years. The hearing panel had recommended a suspension, not disbarment. Doug's lawyer had led Doug to expect either a suspension or censure. The final decision came as a surprise to Doug.

- He apologized to me and to his friends and clients for having to learn about this matter in this way.

- He also voiced frustration at the fact that these incidents were in the past, he had learned from it, and assured me that the running of his comic book business was totally on the up and up.

 

That's the reporting. Every person has to make his or her own decision about this. Based on what I know personally of Doug, directly, and my dealings with him, and his gentlemanly treatment of my daughter when he met her, I will continue to do business with him. I understand if others choose differently.

 

No one is as pure as the driven snow. I'm just factoring the latest in with what I know about Doug. We are all part Buddha and part demon. A mix of good and evil. (Except me. I'm perfect.) I'm disappointed in hearing the news. I don't minimize it, but it's my personal choice to continue to do business with him, and in the areas of comics, to trust him as much as I trust anyone I do business with.

 

Brad

 

Oh....and Jason Ewert can still burn in hell!

[october]

minor screwups don't get you disbarred. Pattern of intentional, willful misconduct does.

 

Apparently these guys still don't get it. Just forget it Brian, no matter what you say some people will still refuse to believe getting disbarred for theft and fraud is a big deal, and will continue to do business with someone who is obviously ethically challenged as long as they can get their "killer" ASMs. Then again, did you really expect more from us resident comic junkies?

[EastEnd]

You would think the legitimate dealers would speak up and do something... 1) because their whole industry is being blackened, and 2) because there is a tremendous financial opportunity for those folks that truly do run their business with honesty and integrity.

[Aman619]

Of course Doug is going to ensure his new enterprise is on the up-and-up, and that he builds new bridges throughout the comic book community. If you were in his situation and this was your fallback plan, wouldn't you try and do everything possible to make it successful?

 

The question is, for how long? I am sure the optimists among you will say he has turned over a new leaf. I certainly hope so. But if the day comes when your order isn't shipped or your check hasn't arrived, keep in mind that this thread was ample warning.

 

thats a good point. Apparently, Doug left the law firm to start a new life and career in Florida. I guess now its clear that part of that impetus was this impending disbarment. There probably wouldnt be any Pedigree if not for these charges (which commenced in early 2004 it looks like)

 

But you have an interetsing point. Doug can no longer look at Pedigree as vacation, or a hobby away from his real career in the law. That career is finished. So perhaps Doug must work even harder to protect his ONLY job now---Pedigree Comics. Maybe that a good thing if you can stu=ill trust him to buy or sell comics with.

 

Overall, is any of this a surprise? really? Havent we all experienced enough comics dealers to know whats going on and to watch our backs?? You can count on one hand the dealers AND collectors in this hobby who are solvent enought NOT to need to "shuffle"monies around to buy new toys or inventory. But you'd think a lawyer would be smart enough not to do it the easiest, most obvious, and most damaging to one's career and reputation way as Doug has done. Pretty stupid to yield to temptation. He shoulda just screwed fellow collectors like the others always do!

[Foolkiller]

Doug:

 

If you're reading the thread, I'd love to hear from you. Don't expect that it will be all friendly, but to me, this kind of conduct is egregious, and I have to come out strong with this. Don't filter it through someone else to post on the boards. Why isn't this just like it was before -- how do we know you're not just smooth talking us again.

[The Black Hand ®]

If Doug were a friend of mine I would stand by him and try to defend him, that's what good friends do, on the other hand there seems to be no accountability these days for screwing up or commiting bad acts or wrongful deeds.Say you're sorry and that it was in the past and it's all OK. You see this a lot with our politicians at the highest levels,some won't even admit mistakes, and it's trickling down to our everyday life. The only people who can do know wrong are my Grandkids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Red Hook]

Just for the record, Doug didn't ask me to post anything. I took it upon myself. And I also understand how everyone else feels. He asked me if he should come on and post himself, but I suggested not yet. Give it a couple days. But feel free to call him, and form your own opinion.

 

Brad