In a ruling that ethics attorneys say is not as startling as it might appear, the New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday indefinitely suspended two lawyers and disbarred a third for sex offenses involving children, but stopped short of issuing a bright-line disbarment rule in such cases.

In a 6-1 ruling, the majority declined to mandate the automatic disbarment of lawyers who commit sex offenses involving children, and said matters must be resolved on a case-by-case basis—with particular emphasis on whether the attorney had actual physical contact with the child victim.

“We have refrained from establishing a bright-line rule requiring disbarment in all cases involving sexual offenses against children,” Justice Walter Timpone wrote for the majority. “The imposition of discipline in cases involving sexual misconduct with a minor requires a fact-sensitive inquiry.”