Attorney suspended for having sex with client

The Ohio Supreme Court suspended a Columbus lawyer Thursday for having consensual sex with a female client and mishandling her legal cases.

The justices unanimously suspended Trent R. Turner for two years, with six months stayed, for violations of the ethical standards governing the conduct of lawyers.

In early 2015, Turner accepted $ 1,000 from a woman to file a motion seeking the judicial release of an imprisoned man. It was determined that the motion was plagiarized and identical to a 2013 motion filed by another lawyer who had failed in a bid to free the man. He also represented the woman for a $ 300 fee in a civil small- claims case.

Turner also began a brief sexual affair with the woman, according to court filings, sending her more than 100 text messages — many of a sexual nature — in the week following their first encounter. Lawyers are forbidden from having sex with clients unless the relationship predated the representation of a client.

The Board of Professional Misconduct found that Turner failed to keep the woman informed about her cases, did not return unearned fees and engaged in dishonest conduct, including misleading the woman about the status of her cases.

To later petition for reinstatement of his law license, Turner must attend 90 straight days of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and pay $ 1,000 in restitution to the woman.