On Wednesday, November 23, 2022, the Supreme Court of Illinois ruled on the Petition by the Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) to impose discipline on consent suspending Chicago attorney Alison Marie Yohanna for misconduct.

The case, titled In the Matter of Alison Marie Yohanna was brought by the Administrator of the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. Case #2022PR00049.

The charges cited Rules 8.4(b),8.4(c), and 8.4(d) of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct, which prohibit:

Committing criminal acts that reflect adversely on her fitness to practice law;

Engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation; and

Conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice.

The following are as alleged and summarized from the filing:

Yohanna allegedly engaged in misconduct by having violated certain terms of her employment with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (“COPA”) when she repeatedly accessed records pertaining to certain police officers in a database that was available to the COPA employees. Her access was without authorization and became the subject of an investigation by the Office of Inspector General. Moreover, during the investigation, Yohanna falsely reported a co-worker was planning a mass shooting at its office. Thereafter, Yohanna was indicted on three felony counts of disorderly conduct, official misconduct by committing an act in excess of her lawful authority, and retaliation.

The Petition states:

“Shortly after Respondent began her job as a COPA investigator, in or about October of 2017, she began a romantic relationship with a CPD officer, Joseph Rasso (“Officer Rasso”). Respondent did not disclose the relationship and a potential conflict of interest is required by COPA regulations. Between December 2017 and December 2018, Respondent searched and accessed CLEAR database records pertaining to investigation into Officer Rasso 32 times. Respondent also searched in CLEAR database records for other CPD officers with the last name “Rasso” 23 times, and accessed records pertaining to Officers James Rasso ad Mary Rasso eight and four times, respectively. Additionally, Respondent also searched in the CLEAR database for her brother, who was also a CPD officer, 13 times, and accessed records pertaining to investigations into him 10 times. Respondent was not assigned to the investigative staff on any of the officers whose files she accessed. . .”

The Petition continues:

“One of the records Respondent improperly accessed multiple times in CLEAR was an investigation into several CPD officers who responded to an incident at a bar during which an off-duty CPD officer was involved in an altercation with two other patrons. That incident occurred on December 17, 2017. Respondent’s then-boyfriend, Officer Rasso, was one of the officers dispatched to the bar. Respondent was not among the investigative staff assigned to that investigation and had a conflict of interest because of her relationship with Officer Rasso.”

The Petition further alleges:

“Respondent submitted an anonymous complaint on the OIG’s website in which she stated the following:

COPA Investigator Garrett Schaaf has been carrying a firearm to the office. He is not allowed to have a gun at the office. Even if he is legally registered. He has been planning on carrying out a mass shooting here. He has also told me that he plans on shooting everyone in the Intake area first because of the way the office is designed. The people that work in that section would have no way to escape. He last told me about his plan on Christmas Eve.”

In its Petition to Impose Discipline on Consent, the Administrator, with Yohanna’s consent, and the approval of a panel of the Hearing Board requested that the Court enter an order suspending Yohanna from law practice for six months.

Accordingly, the Court allowed the Petition by the Administrator and suspended Yohanna from the practice of law in the State of Illinois for six months effective December 14, 2022.

Ms. Alison Marie Yohanna practices in Chicago, Illinois, prior to this suspension order. She has been licensed in Illinois, license no. 6298166. Her info can be found on Avvo.

A copy of the original filing can be found here.