A client accused her attorney of sending her inappropriate texts, court documents show.
Michelle Tuccitto Sullo, Patch Staff
CONNECTICUT — An attorney accused of asking a female client to send him a nude photo has had his license suspended for one year.
Superior Court Judge Patrick Carroll imposed the suspension on attorney Wesley Spears in an 11-page decision issued on April 3.
“There can be no doubt that asking for a nude photo of a trusting and vulnerable client is professional misconduct,” Carroll wrote, in the ruling.
Spears’ practice is based in Manchester, Judicial Branch records show.
Spears did not immediately respond to a request for a comment on the ruling this week.
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The woman retained Spears in November 2021 to represent her in a child custody case, the ruling shows.
The state Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel filed a presentment against Spears accusing him of misconduct for the texts, which it described as “lewd and offensive,” in November 2024.
According to the judge’s ruling, all the parties in Spears’ client’s case were slated to meet in October 2022.
Before this planned meeting, Spears sent a series of text messages to his client, in which he wrote, “You like old people. Send me a picture of you. A sexy one. Can I take you shopping for a nice outfit tomorrow. A nude one would be perfet (sic). Please forgive me.”
In response, the client texted back, “This is very inappropriate of you, I thought you were better than that. You're fired.”
According to the ruling, Spears sent another round of texts to the client, including, “Come on sorry. I will not do it again. I read you wrong. Just forget it. Please. Can you answer I have worked hard for you! You need to forgive me! I miss understood (sic) you when you said you would go to my reunion. Please call. Please call there is no court today we are waiting for Judges (sic) decision.”
Spears provided testimony in which he “freely admitted and acknowledged sending the texts,” the ruling states. “He further apologized to the complainant and the court for sending the texts, acknowledged that the texts were inappropriate and expressed his remorse for having done so.”
Spears told the court he had sent the texts while out with friends to celebrate an upcoming 50th high school reunion, which he had invited his client to attend. One of the friends asked what the client looked like, prompting Spears to send the texts, according to court documents.
Carroll characterized the conduct as “egregious” and therefore warranting a serious sanction of a one-year suspension.
The client believed there was a scheduled court event in the child custody case coming up within hours of receiving the texts, Carroll noted.
“By refusing the entreaties of (Spears) for a photo, she feared the possibility of appearing in court the next morning without legal representation,” Carroll wrote, in the ruling.
Spears had already been suspended in October 2023 from practicing law for two years after he accused judges and others of misconduct and conspiring against him, court documents show. The new one-year suspension will begin in October, after the current suspension expires.