Attorney Joseph Masterson married Mary Masterson in 1956. Forty-one years later, he purportedly married Mingli Yang without divorcing his first wife. At the time of his second wedding, Mr. Masterson submitted an application to the city clerk falsely affirming he had never been married. The Appellate Division, Second Department, determined that Masterson had engaged in “illegal conduct involving moral turpitude,” in violation of DR 1-102(A)(3) of the New York Lawyer’s Code of Professional Responsibility and disbarred him.[1]� The brief decision makes no reference to Mr. Masterson’s competence or legal ethics.
Although the facts in Masterson are, of course, unusual, the decision is not. Cases abound in which lawyers are severely disciplined for a lack of integrity having nothing to do with their law practice.
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