Disciplinary Counsel v. Taylor, 2025-Ohio-4804
Case Information
Court: Supreme Court of Ohio
Date: 2025-10-23
Citation: 2025-Ohio-4804
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Summary
Summary: The Supreme Court of Ohio suspended attorney Ronald Coleman Taylor Jr. for 18 months, with six months stayed, for allegedly threatening conduct toward his former employer and others, finding that his actions violated professional conduct rules and warranted a longer suspension due to lack of mitigating evidence regarding mental health.
Key Holdings
- An attorney who threatens harm and engages in premeditated intimidation violates Prof.Cond.R. 8.4(b) and 8.4(h)
- Failure to attend a disciplinary hearing can negate cooperation as a mitigating factor
- A partially stayed suspension requires conditions including treatment compliance and proof of fitness to practice
- A disciplinary sanction must protect the public and ensure the attorney is fit to resume professional duties
More Information
Ronald Coleman Taylor Jr., an Ohio-licensed attorney residing in Kentucky, was charged with professional misconduct based on two alleged incidents that occurred on April 8, 2024. Taylor, allegedly appearing agitated and wearing face markings he referred to as “war paint,” arrived at his former employer’s law office in Cincinnati armed with a hatchet and a metal baseball bat. He allegedly issued verbal threats and demanded a confrontation with his former employer, whom he challenged to a duel. Although no physical altercation occurred, Taylor later allegedly sent disturbing and violent text messages to his former assistant, threatening harm, invoking violent imagery, and referencing the use of Molotov cocktails.
The Office of Disciplinary Counsel filed a formal complaint, and Taylor was initially suspended on an interim basis. During the proceedings, Taylor did not attend the disciplinary hearing nor provide evidence of his mental health condition, despite earlier indications that such evidence might be presented. The Board of Professional Conduct found that Taylor violated two provisions of the Rules of Professional Conduct, specifically for committing acts reflecting dishonesty and unfitness to practice law.
Though the parties initially proposed an 18-month suspension with a one-year stay, the Disciplinary Counsel later withdrew that recommendation. After independent review, the Supreme Court imposed an 18-month suspension with only six months stayed, citing the seriousness of the alleged threats and Taylor’s failure to cooperate meaningfully in the proceedings. Reinstatement is conditioned on his compliance with treatment recommendations from the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program and submission of a professional opinion affirming his fitness to resume legal practice.
This decision reinforces the principle that threats of violence by attorneys—even in the absence of criminal charges—constitute serious professional misconduct, especially when unaccompanied by mitigating factors or cooperation.