The Enquirer

The Ohio Supreme Court indefinitely suspended a Cincinnati attorney with multiple alcohol-related convictions from the practice of law on Thursday.

Stephen J. Ball’s suspension is based on his September 2013 sentence for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, disorderly conduct, other prior crimes and lying to investigators, according to the court.

Ball argued that his alcohol addiction and the treatment he sought to overcome it should lessen his penalty, but the Supreme Court found little evidence he was complying with his treatment program or that the addiction could explain his offenses.

In December 2012, a Hamilton County sheriff's deputy reported attempting to stop Ball as he drove home under the influence of alcohol. Ball was accused of continuing to drive and parking the car near his home and fleeing on foot. He was eventually arrested by the deputy and charged with an OVI, obstructing official business, driving under suspension, and receiving stolen property for using a stolen license plate.

Ball pleaded guilty to the OVI and disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to probation, ordered to participate in a residential-treatment program, and had his driving privileges limited.

The Cincinnati Bar Association questioned Ball about the stolen license plate in September 2013 and he eventually admitted this was the second time he used a stolen plate to prevent police from discovering he was driving with a suspended license.

The bar association filed a complaint against Ball with the Board of Professional Conduct alleging multiple violations of the rules governing Ohio lawyers. The complaint included the OVI arrest and incidents where Ball overdrew his state-required client-trust account and practiced law when his law license was inactive.

Ball issued a check to a client for a whole settlement payment before the person who owed his client actually paid the full settlement costs, which caused his client-trust account to be overdrawn, according to Court News Ohio.

The professional conduct board found that Ball overdrew the account two more times and concluded that Ball violated the professional rules.

In imposing the indefinite suspension, the court cited Ball's multiple encounters with police before and after he become an attorney. These included two OVI charges in 2002 that resulted in his suspended drivers' license. In 2007 he was charged with another OVI, possession of drug paraphernalia and an unloaded firearm. He was ordered to serve seven to 10 days in a residential treatment program, followed by intensive outpatient programming and probation.

He participated in the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program after the 2007 arrest, but failed to complete his contract. Ball entered a second five-year contract with the program in 2012 after the OVI conviction, but failed to comply with its terms and entered another contract with the program in 2013.

Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor and Justices Terrence O’Donnell, Judith Ann Lanzinger, Judith L. French, and William M. O’Neill joined the majority opinion. Justices Paul E. Pfeifer and Sharon L. Kennedy dissented indicating they would have imposed a two-year suspension with six months stayed on conditions.