On Tuesday, September 17, 2024, the Disciplinary Counsel filed a complaint against attorney Ronald Coleman Taylor with the Board of Professional Conduct of the Supreme Court of Ohio.
The case is entitled “Disciplinary Counsel v. Ronald Coleman Taylor, Esq.,” with case no. 2024-020.
The charges cited Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(b) and 8.4(h), which states:
Prohibiting a lawyer from committing an illegal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer’s honesty or trustworthiness.
Prohibiting a lawyer from engaging in any other conduct that adversely reflects on the lawyer’s fitness to practice law.
The Rules of Professional Conduct can be found here.
The complaint alleges that Taylor committed misconduct during an incident in April 2024 at his former law firm, the Law Offices of Blake R. Maislin, LLC. Taylor had been terminated from the firm in September 2023 due to performance issues.
On April 8, 2024, a group of Maislin employees gathered outside the office building to observe a solar eclipse. The complaint states that Taylor arrived, having shaved his head and painted his face. He then retrieved an axe or hatchet and a metal baseball bat from his car. Taylor is accused of making threatening remarks toward Attorney Blake Maislin and asking him to come outside.
Most staff went back inside but Teresa Mounce, Taylor’s former legal assistant, approached him. After she told him to calm down and leave, he departed but returned 5-10 minutes later to drive past the building. Police were called but arrived after Taylor had left.
That evening, Taylor sent text messages to Mounce discussing violently harming and scalping Maislin, as well as mentioning using a Molotov cocktail during a mediation. The complaint alleges Taylor’s behavior caused the belief that he would physically harm employees or damage property.
The Disciplinary Counsel charges that Taylor’s conduct violated professional conduct rules regarding committing an illegal act reflecting adversely on character and engaging in behavior negatively impacting fitness to practice law.
The complaint states:
“Relator requests that the respondent be found in violation of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct and be sanctioned accordingly.”
According to avvo.com, Mr. Taylor is an attorney in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended the Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He acquired his law license in Ohio in 2008.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
