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The Indiana Supreme Court issued a private reprimand to local attorney Steve Shine for misconduct related to financial oversight at his law firm.
The court issued a private reprimand Tuesday for an anonymous Indiana attorney. Shine declined to comment on the case, or even verify it was related to him, but the original complaint containing the same set of facts and same case number names Shine as the attorney in question.
The reprimand was issued because for five months beginning in May 2005, Beth Shine, Steve Shine’s wife, wrote approximately 11 checks to herself or to accounts to which she had access from the law firm’s trust account, according to the court documents. This amounted to misappropriating $22,257 in client money without the knowledge of anyone at the firm, Shine & Hardin.
Steve Shine, who also is Allen County Republican Party chairman, was the partner in charge of the firm’s finances, but much of the work was left to Beth Shine without supervision, according to the complaint.
The court unanimously determined a private reprimand was warranted for not providing proper oversight to the firm’s finances.
The Disciplinary Commission is an agency of the Indiana Supreme Court charged with investigating and prosecuting claims of misconduct against lawyers. Sanctions that can be ordered by the board include: a private or public reprimand; suspension from practice for a set period of time; suspension from practice with reinstatement only after the lawyer proves fitness; or permanent disbarment.
By November 2005, Beth Shine had repaid all the money to the firm, according to the court documents. Beth Shine could not be reached for comment.
The Shines began divorce proceedings in December 2006.
