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Ohio Supreme Court

(Associated Press file)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - A Lakewood attorney was suspended for two years by the Ohio Supreme Court Tuesday for having sex with four of his clients.

Six months of Jalal T. Sleibi's sentence is stayed provided that he takes a six-hour course on ethical boundaries and sticks to his mental health treatment.

In the decision, written by Justice William M. O'Neill, the Supreme Court said Sleibi displayed "egregious unprofessional conduct" when he took advantage of his position as an attorney.

"He abused his role as counselor and advocate to gratify his own sexual desires," the decision says. "It is egregious that these four clients were subjected to this treatment only because they needed legal representation in bankruptcy and criminal matters."

According to the decision, Sleibi had a consensual affair with an 18-year-old client facing drug and alcohol charges, including a DUI. But after the client wanted to break off the relationship, he continued to contact her until she changed her phone number and e-mail address.

In 2010, Sleibi had an affair with a bankruptcy client. Later that same year, he entered into another affair with a married client. After she became pregnant, he "bombarded her with text messages and phone calls urging her to have an abortion," the decision states. Sleibi was also married at the time, and told the woman the affair needed to end so he could work on his own marriage.

A third woman testified during a hearing against Sliebi that he had raped her while representing her in a bankruptcy case, the decision says. The woman said he told her to keep the incident between them or "the bankruptcy wouldn't go through." Law enforcement investigated the rape claim and Sleibi was not charged.

Sleibi admitted to having sexual relations with the women, but he said all of the affairs were consensual.

He declined to comment on his case when reached by phone Tuesday.

Sleibi told the court he's never had any disciplinary problems in the past, and that he cooperated with the investigation, admitting to the affairs.

But the Supreme Court concluded Sleibi was not sorry for what he had done, noting that he never apologized to the women but instead tried to discredit and embarrass them.

"Sleibi's insistence that the sex was consensual gives the impression that he does not comprehend the wrongfulness of his conduct," O'Neill wrote.