A Pennsylvania lawyer is blaming an addiction to video games for his shoddy work on a multitude of cases, the York Dispatch reports.
Matthew Eshelman, a 43-year-old now suspended-lawyer, was fired from his firm in 2007 because of multiple cases that he flubbed on because his attention was split between his job and his addiction to video games. Eshelman cites stress at home and from work as the root of the addiction.
Instead of seeking treatment for his addiction, Eshelman opened his own firm, and the situation got worse, he says. Enough of his new clients complained about his failure to do his job that the case was taken to court, where Eshelman was originally sentenced to a five-year suspension. However, the court took into account his record before the addiction and lessened the suspension to three years.
At least 17 cases which were mishandled by Eshelman in his private firm were used as evidence against him during his trial. Most involved bankruptcy, divorce and debt collection. Apparently, Eshelman not only mishandled his clients’ money and ignored their angry calls, but also missed multiple deadlines and was caught lying during at least one case filing.
No information has been released regarding the games to which Eshelman is addicted.
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