OHIO – In 1977, James D. Owen began representing Robert Caulley who had been accused of murdering his parents three years earlier. Owen was hired to research a false confession defense in the capital murder case, according to Court News Ohio, a service of the Ohio Supreme Court.
The accused’s wife relocated from Texas to Ohio in summer 1997 and helped Owen with case-related tasks. Several days before Caulley’s trial began that September, Owen and Caulley’s wife started a sexual relationship, which continued until August or September of 1998, Court News reported.
Last month, the Ohio Supreme Court suspended Owen – Disciplinary Counsel v. Owen – for having a sexual relationship with the wife of a client.
The court noted in its decision that the professional conduct rules do not address this issue nor had there been any case law about this type of situation, the report stated.
In a 6-1 vote, the court imposed a two-year suspension for Owen’s misconduct but stayed the second year.
The jury found Caulley guilty of two lesser offenses, not punishable by death, and he was sent to prison.
Caulley found out about the affair years later, and the Ohio Public Defender contacted Owen in 2011 to tell him it was asking the court for a new trial because of his relationship with Caulley’s wife.
Owen admitted his actions and cooperated in the efforts to gain a new trial, which was granted. He also reported his misconduct to the Disciplinary Counsel about a month later and entered into a five-year contract with the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program in early 2012.
He sought treatment for anxiety, depression, and severe attention deficit disorder.
In its opinion, the court found that “a sexual relationship with the spouse of a current client creates a conflict of interest that compromises the trust and confidence between the client and attorney.”
The court has disapproved of lawyers engaging in sexual conduct with clients, and it upheld the same principle for sexual relationships with a client’s spouse because “the vulnerability of the client and the betrayal of trust are the same,” the court stated.
Owen’s suspension with one year stayed is contingent upon him committing no further misconduct.