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Lawyer who caused standoff has license suspended, but given credit for time served under an interim suspension
DAYTON — The Ohio Supreme Court has suspended the license of a Dayton attorney who admitted firing a revolver at a police officer in January 2007, the court announced Tuesday, Aug. 25.
The court suspended Lee Howard’s license for two years, agreeing with findings by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances & Discipline that Howard engaged in illegal conduct involving moral turpitude and conduct that adversely reflects on his fitness to practice.
Howard will be given credit for time already served since his interim suspension on Aug. 30, 2007. Under the court’s decision, he must successfully complete a mental health evaluation prior to reinstatement of his license.
The court noted that Howard practiced nearly 30 years of law practice without prior disciplinary infractions. The court also noted that, on the night of the incident, Howard had been awakened from a deep sleep by a spotlight being shined into his darkened home, and that the uniformed officer who entered his yard was obscured by the glare of his spotlight and did not identify himself as the police.
Howard, 59, pleaded guilty April 4, 2007 to felonious assault and inducing panic. He was sentenced to five years probation. Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Froelich also ordered him to get mental health and substance abuse treatment and to make restitution, including for the cost of the Special Weapons and Tactics team call out he caused.
Officer Jeff Hieber wrote in his incident report that he had found a stolen car in an alley behind Howard’s home, 133 E. Hudson Ave., when something whizzed near him and struck the ground.
A man appeared at a window of the house. Hieber wrote that he called for backup after someone then thrust a handgun out the window minutes later and fired once in his direction.
Howard was ultimately forced from his home by officers firing teargas.
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