Appeals court raps Chicago lawyer
Attorney compared to 'a child pouting'
(Tribune illustration)
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A Chicago attorney who accused an appellate court of "hypocrisy" received an unusual public rebuke from the judicial panel last week when it issued an opinion saying the lawyer had acted like "a child pouting in the corner when he does not get his way."
Kent Sinson, a former Cook County prosecutor now in private practice, had leveled the allegations in a court filing after losing an appeal in July in a lawsuit.
Sinson represented Robert Talamine, the owner of an apartment rental business who was arrested after two cars at a competing business had their tires slashed. Prosecutors dismissed charges when a witness — who said he'd seen a man slash the tires on one car and leave in a vehicle with a license plate number that police tracked to Talamine — failed to appear in court.
Talamine sued for defamation and malicious prosecution, but the case was dismissed by then-Cook County Judge William Taylor, who in 2012 was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court's First District. When a panel of First District judges — not including Taylor — upheld the lawsuit's dismissal in July, Sinson "exploded," he later acknowledged.
He wrote in a filing that the appellate decision "troubled" him, saying it left out "facts it finds inconvenient." "Perhaps this Court felt it was more important to maintain a friendly relationship with their colleague down the hallway than it was to do justice," he wrote
But after the court threatened to hold Sinson in contempt, he apologized. The court accepted and decided against sanctioning him.
"While this insulting language may impress his client in a manner more suited for talk radio, it has absolutely no place in a judicial setting as it does nothing to serve the interest of justice and it promotes disrespect for the independence and impartiality of the judiciary," the court wrote.
Sinson's attorney, George Collins, said his client's emotions got the better of him and he "blew up" after losing what he thought was a strong case.
"Umpires call strikes and balls, and if you don't like that rule, then you shouldn't play baseball," Collins said.
sschmadeke@tribune.com
Kent Sinson, a former Cook County prosecutor now in private practice, had leveled the allegations in a court filing after losing an appeal in July in a lawsuit.
Sinson represented Robert Talamine, the owner of an apartment rental business who was arrested after two cars at a competing business had their tires slashed. Prosecutors dismissed charges when a witness — who said he'd seen a man slash the tires on one car and leave in a vehicle with a license plate number that police tracked to Talamine — failed to appear in court.
Talamine sued for defamation and malicious prosecution, but the case was dismissed by then-Cook County Judge William Taylor, who in 2012 was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court's First District. When a panel of First District judges — not including Taylor — upheld the lawsuit's dismissal in July, Sinson "exploded," he later acknowledged.
He wrote in a filing that the appellate decision "troubled" him, saying it left out "facts it finds inconvenient." "Perhaps this Court felt it was more important to maintain a friendly relationship with their colleague down the hallway than it was to do justice," he wrote
But after the court threatened to hold Sinson in contempt, he apologized. The court accepted and decided against sanctioning him.
"While this insulting language may impress his client in a manner more suited for talk radio, it has absolutely no place in a judicial setting as it does nothing to serve the interest of justice and it promotes disrespect for the independence and impartiality of the judiciary," the court wrote.
Sinson's attorney, George Collins, said his client's emotions got the better of him and he "blew up" after losing what he thought was a strong case.
"Umpires call strikes and balls, and if you don't like that rule, then you shouldn't play baseball," Collins said.
sschmadeke@tribune.com
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