A Brown County attorney who tried to pressure a client into sexual activity with him has been suspended from practicing law for at least six months, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled.
According to a release from Court News Ohio, Attorney Bruce S. Wallace was suspended after an investigation determined that he leveraged his position to solicit sexual favors from a client.
'How Far Would You be Willing to Go to Get What You Want?'
Wallace didn't admit trying to coerce the woman into sexual conduct until after investigators played him a conversation with her that she had secretly recorded. The case dates back to August 2022, when the woman asked Wallace to represent her in a parenting dispute involving her young daughter.
According to the court's opinion, Wallace met the woman on a Friday at his office in Mount Orab. When she met with Wallace in his office to discuss the situation, he allegedly asked her, "How serious are you about getting what you want for your daughter?" and "How far would you be willing to go to get what you want?"
Although the woman was unsure about what he meant, she told him that she would do whatever she needed to help her daughter. The next day, a Saturday, Wallace texted her about the case then later called her, reiterating that he wanted to make sure there were no lines she would not cross or anything she would not do.
Wallace Told the Woman He Had 'Connections' with the Judge, Told Her She Would Get 'Priority' if She Did What He Asked
Wallace told the woman that he had "connections" with the judge on the case. He said the judge had previously worked in his law office, according to the opinion, and he wanted to be sure the woman was someone for whom he should use a favor.
He then told the woman she could come to his law office to discuss some issues and see how far she was willing to go. She agreed, but because she was uneasy about what Wallace might ask of her, she set her cellphone to record the meeting.
After meeting in a conference room for about 20 minutes, Wallace redirected the conversation to what the woman was willing to do to demonstrate her seriousness about the case. He then led her to his personal office, which had a couch. At that point, the woman became extremely uncomfortable.
Once in the office, Wallace asked her to show him how serious she was. She asked what he wanted, and he replied: "In my position, I am not in a place where I can do that. I have to leave that to you."
When she asked what would happen if she did "the thing," Wallace replied that her case would get "priority."
Wallace Asked the Woman to Send Him Photos of Her Tattoos, Including Ones Under Her Clothing
The woman ultimately declined to do anything and left the office. As she was leaving, Wallace asked her to text photos of all her tattoos, including ones under her clothing, but she never did.
Wallace did end up filing a motion on her behalf in the parenting case but the woman asked that it be dismissed. He did not charge her for any work he performed on the case.
The state Board of Professional Conduct found – and Wallace agreed – that he had solicited sexual activity from his client. The board also found that he implied he could improperly influence a judge.
The board recommended a six-month suspension that would not be imposed unless he violated certain conditions. But the Supreme Court rejected that proposal. The court found that Wallace's actions warranted a greater sanction and imposed a one-year suspension, with six months stayed if he meets certain conditions.
"Wallace's repeated and brazen attempts to convince (the woman) to engage in sexual conduct with him" along with his suggestion that he could use his relationship with a judge to influence her case, the opinion said, "warrant a sanction greater than the conditionally stayed six-month suspension." Wallace has been an attorney in Ohio since 1983.
