October 6, 2009 – The Illinois Supreme Court has censured for misconduct Daniel Starr, a lawyer who is also on the board of directors of Marina Towers Condominium Association.

Starr, who specializes in landlord and tenant law, was charged with engaging in conflicts of interest and other misconduct while representing clients in eviction matters. He admitted some factual allegations, denied others, but denied all allegations of misconduct.

A censure is worse than a reprimand but not as bad as a suspension. Including Starr, four lawyers in Illinois were censured on September 22. Ten were disbarred, 32 suspended, and four were reprimanded.

Starr was suspended in 2005 for six months by the Illinois Supreme Court for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to delay an eviction. He was not allowed to practice law during that time.

In February 2009, Starr told Marina City Online he has done “a pretty good job for his clients” and that “any attorney in my shoes would have done the same.”

Starr was unanimously approved on February 19 by the MTCA board to fill a seat left open by Sandra Lapping, who died on July 3, 2008. In March, after reviewing the findings of a hearing board last year, the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission recommended Starr be censured. Starr was elected to a two-year term on the board on April 27.

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