NEW ORLEANS — Formal charges against Hammond attorney Thomas J. Hogan Jr. following a dispute with his siblings, who complained to the Louisiana State Bar Association, have been dismissed following a May 29 Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board ruling.
The board will bear costs and expenses in the matter, according to the ruling signed for the majority by LADB Adjudicative Committee member Sheila O'Leary. Concurring in the ruling were committee members Linda G. Bizzarro, Pamela W. Carter, Danna E. Schwab, Evans C. Spiceland Jr., Melissa L. Theriot, Walter D. White and Charles H. Williamson Jr.
Committee member Dominick Scandurro Jr. dissented, saying he would recommend a public reprimand. "I agree that this was, and I assume still is, a nasty sibling fight," Scandurro said in his dissent.
"I am reluctant to allow the complainants to use the disciplinary apparatus against their lawyer sibling to gain an advantage in a family war or to get even with [Hogan] for opposing their wishes. However, my reading of the record leads me to conclude that the respondent was a willing and active participant in this sad family affair. [Hogan] gave out as much grief to his siblings as they were giving to him and in doing so crossed the line of acceptable behavior."
Hogan had faced charges over allegations that included violations of rules regarding making a false statement, failure to disclose to a tribunal and engaging in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.
Hogan was admitted to the bar in Louisiana on Oct. 9, 1981, according to his profile at the Louisiana State Bar Association's website.
Allegations against Hogan, the oldest of nine siblings, began with a complaint Hogan's sister filed with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. Susan Hogan Schepens made her complaint in June 2015 concerning their 88-year-old mother, who suffers from dementia. Another sibling, Jerome Hogan, acts as their mother's power of attorney.
"The testimony provided by Susan Schepens and Jerome Hogan indicated that they regarded the respondent's involvement or 'interjection' into their mother's affairs as a personal slight," the LADB's ruling said.