A Phoenix attorney has been temporarily suspended for practicing law for threatening to publicly shame opposing counsel in order to reach a settlement.
Attorney Peter K. Strojnik will begin his 30-day suspension on Dec. 16, the State Bar of Arizona said Friday in a news release.
He will be placed on probation for two years once the suspension is up. He was also ordered to pay the State Bar $1,210.25 and will have to undergo "intensive outpatient chemical dependency treatment."
According to the State Bar of Arizona, Strojnik filed a complaint in federal court alleging that his client was sexually harassed by opposing counsel in order to reach a settlement.
He then threatened to use press releases to garner news coverage, create a website about the allegations and would encourage "shame on protesters" to picket outside the defendants' business. He also told opposing council that he had scheduled meetings with police and the Department of Justice.
The threats stopped for five weeks after opposing counsel warned Strojnik about this actions, but resumed again, according to the release.
