Iowa Supreme Court Attorney Disciplinary Board v. Anthony Zane Blessum

MANSFIELD, Justice.

An Iowa attorney entered into an intimate relationship with one of his clients, then assaulted her after the relationship deteriorated. The attorney pled guilty to assault causing bodily injury, a serious misdemeanor. See Iowa Code §§ 708.1(1), .2(2) (2011). In addition, the attorney did not finalize the qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) in this client’s divorce case for two years, and he withdrew this client’s fee from his trust account before doing the work.

The Board filed a complaint alleging the attorney violated Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct 82:1.3 (lack…