A Roseville lawyer who's serving a prison term after attacking his roommate was disbarred Wednesday.
Brian L. Pitera, 46, "undermine[d] the public's confidence in the ability of attorneys to abide by the rule of law" when he engaged in first-degree felony assault, to which he pleaded guilty in November 2011, the state Supreme Court order said.
The court also ruled that Pitera failed to represent a client after accepting a fee, failed to pay a professional debt even after a court judgment was handed down against him and failed to cooperate with the office's investigation into his conduct. Pitera failed to respond to the allegations, which were filed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.
First licensed in 1999, Pitera had previously been disciplined in 2005 for representing a client while not properly registered.
According to criminal charges, Pitera was drinking beer with his roommate on Christmas Day in 2010 when he got upset that the roommate had called Pitera's law firm "and was rude to the receptionist." During the assault, Pitera jumped on his roommate's chest and dropped dumbbells on his head. The victim suffered a collapsed lung, broken collarbone and lost teeth.
Pitera was sentenced to 75 months in prison for the assault and is eligible for supervised released in September 2015.
Jane Friedmann
