COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Westlake attorney, Daniel E. Perrico, faced suspension from practicing law by the Supreme Court of Ohio due to criminal convictions related to providing alcohol to two teenage girls and engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct with one of them. The court, with a majority agreement, found Perrico guilty of two ethics violations stemming from an incident where he encouraged his then 15-year-old stepdaughter and her two 18-year-old friends to consume alcohol excessively, leading to inappropriate sexual behavior with one of the friends.
The court suspended Perrico for two years, with one year stayed under the condition that he does not engage in further misconduct. Justices Patrick F. Fischer, R. Patrick DeWine, Michael P. Donnelly, and Melody Stewart supported this decision. However, Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy expressed in a separate opinion that Perrico’s actions constituted a felony crime of gross sexual imposition, advocating for a two-year suspension without a stay. Justice Joseph T. Deters concurred with the chief justice’s opinion.
Furthermore, Justice Michael P. Donnelly raised concerns about the criminal process that led to Perrico’s discipline. Perrico pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault as part of a plea agreement, diverting from the original charge of sexual imposition. Justice Donnelly argued that such plea agreements, lacking a factual basis, could hinder disciplinary investigations’ ability to grasp the true nature of an attorney’s alleged misconduct.
The case unfolded from an incident in 2019 when Perrico, then 45, hosted a sleepover for his stepdaughter and her two friends, aged 15 and 18. Perrico provided alcohol to the teenagers, leading to one of the friends becoming heavily intoxicated and subjected to unwanted sexual advances. Despite Perrico’s subsequent guilty plea to lesser charges, including furnishing alcohol to minors and assault, the court found his behavior violated legal ethics.
The court’s decision to suspend Perrico came with the requirement for him to undergo an alcohol assessment by the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program or a qualified professional, along with compliance with any treatment recommendations. Perrico was also directed to cover the costs of the disciplinary proceedings.
In separate opinions, Chief Justice Kennedy and Justice Donnelly underscored the severity of Perrico’s actions and the potential flaws in the legal system that allowed him to evade more severe consequences through plea agreements lacking a factual basis. They advocated for stricter measures to uphold legal integrity and protect the public from similar misconduct in the future.