On December 14, 2022, the Supreme Court of New Jersey reprimanded Tinton Falls attorney Curtis J. Romanowski over a case of Misconduct. The case is entitled “In the Matter of Curtis J. Romanowski” and bought by the Disciplinary Review Board. Case No. D-77.
The charges cited Rules of Professional Conduct 3.2. which states:
Failure to treat the client with courtesy and consideration.
The Rules of Professional Conduct can be found here.
The Complaint is related to three client matters. Initially, the respondent was charged with failure to properly communicate with clients, criminal actions that affect and reflect adversely on the lawyer’s honesty and trustworthiness, dishonesty, fraud, deceit, and Misinterpretation. However, the decision was just to proceed with the single count on charging the respondent for violating 3.2. Thus was violated while handling a client, the respondent stated several offensive statements that are considered inappropriate.
The filing states:
“Respondent then called Latkovich and she answered. Ratkovich testified that, during this telephone conversation, the respondent said she disgusted him, and called her an “idiot” and a “moron. ” Latkovich recorded part of the telephone conversation and, in the recording, respondent called Latkovich a “moron” and a “ridiculous person;” stated that she and her husband deserve each other and threatened to have a financial expert stop working on her case; threatened to withdraw as her counsel; told her that she “better pay us first” before hiring new counsel; and told her to “shut up “.
The filing continues:
“During the ethics hearing, the respondent acknowledged that he sent the above text messages but claimed the nonsensical writing and improper tone were the result of using voice recognition on his cell phone while he was in the emergency room with his wife. Regarding the telephone call, the respondent admitted that the call took place and that the voice heard on the recording was his own. Respondent admitted that he was slurring and on medication but claimed that he did not recall most of the conversation. He denied calling Latkovich an “idiot” and emphatically reiterated that denial to us during oral argument, but acknowledged he told her that she and her husband deserved each other.”
The filing further states that:
“Respondent explained that, because of his 2016 head trauma, he repeatedly fell and had issues with his speech. He was hospitalized from February 28 through March 4, 2018, the same period in which he represented Latkovich, as the result of temporary paralysis. Further, he was again hospitalized on June 25, just two days after his text and telephone communication with Latkovich. He claimed that he had been prescribed certain medications, including Lithium and Quetiapine, which “created exacerbated problems with [his] speech” and left him with a “brain fog.”
With all the foregoing facts and evidence, the court agrees with the Disciplinary Review Board.
The Disposition states:
“It is ORDERED that Curtis J. Romanowski is hereby reprimanded, and it is further ORDERED that respondent provide proof of his fitness to practice law as attested to by a medical doctor approved by the Office of Attorney Ethics within sixty days after the filing date of this Order.”
As of today, Mr. Romanowski is listed on the website of the law firm Romanowski Law Offices as a practicing attorney. His info can be found on Linkedin. He attended Ohio Northern University, graduating in 1979. Romanowski practices in Freehold, New Jersey. He is licensed in New Jersey.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
