Former Duane Morris partner Adam P. Beckerink pleaded no contest to charges he abused his late wife, Caitlin Tracey, and interfered with a call she made to 911. Additionally, Beckerink entered a guilty plea to a contempt of court charge for violating a no contact order. The charges stem from a 2024 incident two months before Tracey was found dead in the stairwell of Beckerink’s apartment building in Chicago’s South Loop, with her severed foot nearby.
After Tracey’s death, the allegations of abuse she made against her husband became public. Duane Morris removed Beckerink from the partnership, saying, “This is a shocking and tragic case, and we send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Caitlin Tracey. Our firm was not aware of the domestic violence and other allegations against Adam Beckerink asserted in various legal proceedings until recent media accounts of her death. Once we confirmed key facts, the partners board swiftly removed Adam as a partner of Duane Morris LLP. He is no longer associated with our firm.”
As reported by the ABA Journal, Beckerink’s pleas avoid a trial:
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Beckerink avoided a trial scheduled to begin Sept. 9 as a result of the plea. A judge had ruled in June that during the scheduled trial, prosecutors could play Tracey’s 911 call for help in August 2024 and show police body camera footage showing Beckerink’s arrest for domestic abuse at the Michigan home, ABC 7 Chicago previously reported.
Beckerink will be sentenced October 20th.
Beckerink has not been charged in the death of Tracey. The medical examiner has not issued a finding on Tracey’s cause of death.
If you’re a victim of familial or domestic violence, reach out if you need help. If you feel that you are in immediate danger, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Assistance is available in English and Spanish.
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Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1 or Mastodon @[email protected].