Who knew a sticker habit could land someone in trouble with the law? Illinois attorney Robert T. Hanlon got a little too zealous with his sticker game the other day and had to turn himself into the police. He’s charged with “misdemeanor criminal damage to property of less than $500.”
Hanlon supports McHenry County sheriff candidate Robb Tadelman. But Tadelman faces a challenge from Tony Colatorti and that’s where Hanlon allegedly came in.
From the Daily Herald:
AI Is Killing Legal’s Billable Hour. It’s Also Repeating Its Worst Mistake
Law firms and legal departments are writing the future of the profession in separate rooms. What happens when they actually work together?
The attorney is accused of “damaging numerous campaign signs located at 770 S. Virginia Road” promoting Tony Colatorti, who is running for McHenry County sheriff, the criminal complaint said.
News accounts don’t explain what the stickers said, but they don’t sound flattering. [UPDATE: Having seen a shot of the stickers, they say that the candidate is beholden to the union and imply past criminal activity without specificity.]
Hanlon has made headlines before when lawyers accused him of plagiarizing material in a court filing. And plagiarism is bad, but… opposing counsel accused him of basically parroting firm white papers providing overviews of the relevant caselaw, which sounds more like opposing counsel trying to be unnecessarily obstructive rather than any kind of impropriety on Hanlon’s part. If the cited caselaw is still good, it’s still good.
Meanwhile, Colatorti is already citing Hanlon’s criminal charge in his campaign.
AI Is Reshaping Legal Practice—But Tools Aren’t The Real Differentiator.
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
https://www.facebook.com/Colatortiforsheriff/posts/235258272140510
The stickers would be “libelous,” not “slanderous,” but you get the idea.
And so the Great Sticker Caper of ’22 appears to be solved. But for how long can McHenry County stay safe?
Attorney accused of vandalizing campaign signs in McHenry County [Daily Herald]
Joe 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.