NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee Supreme Court says a lawyer who was embroiled in a sex-scandal with a drug-addicted client deserves more punishment than a board's recommended 30-day suspension of his law license. The state's highest court on Thursday said Knoxville attorney Robert Vogel should have his law license suspended for a year.
Vogel said he wasn't aware of the court's decision but was shocked after hearing about it. He said he admitted to having a consensual sexual relationship with a client and had done everything disciplinary authorities had asked him to do.
The court, however, found that Vogel failed to safeguard the trust of a vulnerable client, and he pressured the woman and exploited his role as an attorney while she faced serious federal criminal charges.