An Ohio criminal defense attorney was temporarily suspended from practicing law Wednesday after he allegedly would “blow off steam” by pooping in Pringles chip cans and tossing them into a parking lot.
The Ohio Supreme Court suspended attorney James Blakeslee for one year and six months after it was discovered that he would throw pooped-filled Pringles cans into the parking lot of Haven of Hope, a victim advocacy center, according to Law&Crime. (RELATED: ‘It’s Like Twice A Week Now’: Homeless People Keep Pooping In Elevators At Upscale San Francisco Mall)
“While the record demonstrates that Blakeslee regrets his misconduct, it also shows that he lacks sufficient insight into the origin of and motivation for his inappropriate behavior to effectuate positive change,” the court stated.
“We therefore reject the board’s assessment that there is no factual basis for concluding that the public needs to be protected from additional violations, and we conclude that the appropriate sanction for Blakeslee’s misconduct is a one-year suspension with six months stayed on the condition that he engage in no further misconduct.”
Blakeslee reportedly admitted to tossing the poop-filled cans from his car at least 10 times back in 2021, according to 10 WBNS. The Ohio attorney insisted that the routine was merely to just “blow off steam,” stating he loved to imagine the “look of surprise” on people’s faces who had found the cans, the outlet reported. (RELATED: REPORT: Man Arrested After Allegedly Impersonating Lawyer, Practicing In Country’s High Court)
“A lawyer who has practiced in Ohio since 1976 admitted to chucking at least 10 other poop-filled cans at random locations and said he did it to “blow off steam.” https://t.co/izECsGBBfD
— Seamus Hughes (@SeamusHughes) November 29, 2023
Surveillance cameras caught Blakeslee from the advocacy center, showing how he would drive “slowly past the parking lot” at least twice before throwing the cans containing his feces and speeding off.
The attorney, at the time, had been representing the family of a child who was killed subsequently working with a victim advocate at the center, according to Law&Crime. The victim advocate reported Blakeslee to the police upon discovering his act, the outlet reported.
While Blakeslee argued that the advocacy center was “randomly” chosen as the location, the court however found that there was “clear and convincing evidence” that he “intentionally selected” the center’s lot as “his drop zone.”
Blakeslee also paid a $250 fine on top of pleading guilty to minor misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and littering.