By Steve Schmadeke, Tribune reporter
1:23 a.m. CST, January 11, 2014
A onetime attorney for Drew Peterson whose law license was suspended in October faces a new disciplinary charge from the state for allegedly mismanaging a client's criminal appeal.
David Peilet joined Peterson's defense team after the former Bolingbrook police sergeant was convicted in 2012 of drowning Kathleen Savio, his third wife. Peilet said Friday he has not been involved in the case since Peterson was sentenced last February to 38 years in prison.
Peterson's attorneys are expected to file an appeal Monday or Tuesday arguing for a new trial based on alleged ineffective assistance of council from Peterson's former lead attorney, Joel Brodsky.
 
The new charges against Peilet involve a matter before the 3rd District Appellate Court. The court filed a complaint with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission after finding Peilet had repeatedly ignored its orders and missed deadlines for an appeal he was handling.
The court eventually removed him from the case for those violations.
Peilet agreed in April to serve two years of disciplinary probation along with a two-year suspension of his law license to settle state disciplinary charges alleging he had stolen a client's money. The sentence allowed him to get his license back after three months and keep it as long as he complies with the terms of his probation.
He later repaid the client $3,000, which both sides agreed was full restitution, records show. Peilet said in court papers that he was suffering from alcohol addiction at the time of the theft but has since undergone treatment and stopped drinking.
sschmadeke@tribune.com