Legal Ethics

Lawyer Called Clerk 'Dumb F*ck' And Threatened To Fight Him... Guess Which State?

What a mess.

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There are overly aggressive jerks in the legal profession, of course, but generally they’re content to be obnoxious. You rarely have a lawyer, let alone an attorney with leadership responsibilities, threatening clerks to fist fights outside the courthouse. And yet here we are. Happy Love Your Lawyer Day!

So what state brings this kind of energy?

Florida is always an option, but alas no. Texas wouldn’t have been a bad bet, but Joe Jamail is sadly no longer with us. Pennsylvania is getting closer, but until Gritty gets a law degree they’re safe. No, this is a Jersey thing.

Deposed city law director John Morelli allegedly challenged clerk Matthew Conlon to a fight outside City Hall and called him a “dumb f*ck” in an email last month, according to court records.

The clerk was so afraid of Morelli that he asked council to support his bid to get a restraining order, the documents show.

The clerk made the claims in a sworn certification filed in support of councilwoman Robin Vaughn’s court papers challenging Mayor Reed Gusciora’s request to a judge for a stay of Morelli’s firing.

The “dumb f*ck” comment came as Morelli explained defamation law — which was relevant because the clerk was threatening defamation suits after a city council member questioned whether or not the clerk ever passed the bar exam. Conlon claims he passed in 2012, but outlets have been unable to verify that so far. That’s an interesting wrinkle and would, potentially, actually make him a dumb f*ck.

However, it’s not a reason for an attorney to tell a guy to “‘meet him in the council president’s parking space’ in some apparent reference to a proposed physical altercation.” This is why Conlon is asking for a restraining order

The City Council, meanwhile, has fired Morelli “for cause” after he allegedly leaked Council documents illegally. Those documents appear to have kicked off investigations into alleged violations of the state Sunshine Law and wire-tapping claims. That background goes a long way to explaining why the mayor is refusing to respect the firing of his law director.

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Never change, New Jersey.

Records: Trenton law director called clerk Matthew Conlon a ‘dumb f*ck’, threatened to fight him [Trentonian]

HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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