In an unusual case of self-sabotage, New Hampshire attorney Justin Nadeau found himself in the crosshairs of an ethics investigation, which ultimately led to his disbarment by the state’s Supreme Court. Under scrutiny for numerous questionable actions, including securing substantial loans from a client with a brain injury, Nadeau made the ill-advised decision to destroy his computer in the hopes of escaping his predicaments.
This desperate maneuver, however, did not derail his troubles. As reported by the NH Journal and reiterated by the Legal Profession Blog, Nadeau was found to have not only tampered with evidence but also misled authorities. The discovery was made by computer expert James Berriman, who discovered inconsistencies in the documents provided by Nadeau to the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC).
A deep dive into Nadeau’s office server revealed falsified dates on the documents he submitted to the committee. More shockingly, it was discovered that these documents were created after he had taken his client’s money. Nadeau has maintained that he made all necessary conflict of interest disclosures, despite evidence pointing to the contrary.
In a modern world where digital footprints are near-impossible to erase entirely, it makes one ponder the logic behind such actions. The era of computer forensics has long dawned, and with specialists readily available, attempts at evidence destruction are becoming increasingly futile, a lesson Nadeau learned the hard way.
Often, legal practitioners and judges, with their broad professional expertise, tend to believe they are equipped to tackle matters outside their field, be it medical science, economics, or, as in this case, computer science. But Nadeau’s fall from grace serves as a reminder that there is a reason professions are specialized and experts exist in every field.
More on this story can be found at “One Of The Most Significant Violations” on the Legal Profession blog and the full report on Above the Law.