On Thursday, November 7, 2024, the Supreme Court of Ohio suspended attorney Rodney Eugene Haven from the practice of law for one year. The court found that Haven engaged in misconduct that violated the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct.
The case is entitled “Disciplinary Counsel v. Haven,” with case number 2024-Ohio-5278.
The misconduct stemmed from several incidents in 2023, including a standoff with law enforcement, a conviction for operating a vehicle while impaired (OVI), disruptive behavior during a divorce hearing, and a subsequent disciplinary investigation.
According to the court’s opinion, on January 5, 2023, the Wooster Police Department received a tip that Haven was armed and suicidal. After a lengthy phone call, Haven agreed to end the standoff but later drove towards the U.S. Military Academy where his son was enrolled, possibly intending to harm himself. Police intercepted Haven’s vehicle and he was eventually taken into custody. Haven was subsequently indicted for improperly handling a firearm and OVI.
In September 2023, Haven’s erratic behavior during a divorce hearing led the magistrate to suspend the proceedings and order a psychological evaluation. The evaluation found that Haven was cognitively able to participate in the legal process, but his judgment was “strongly suspicious” due to the impending divorce.
The court found that Haven’s conduct violated rules prohibiting prejudicial conduct and conduct that adversely reflects on a lawyer’s fitness to practice law. In determining the appropriate sanction, the court considered similar past cases and imposed a one-year suspension with several conditions for reinstatement, including completion of an alcohol/substance abuse or mental health program, three additional hours of continuing legal education, and an evaluation by the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program.
The court emphasized that the suspension was necessary to protect the public and demonstrate that such conduct will not be tolerated in the legal profession.
According to Avvo, Attorney Rodney Eugene Haven is an intellectual property attorney in Wooster, Ohio. He graduated from the Akron, C. Blake McDowell Law Center and acquired his license in Ohio in 2007.
A copy of the original filing can be filed here.
