View a previous report on Jack Blakeslee's suspension from practicing law in the video player above.
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio (WCMH) -- An Ohio attorney has reclaimed his license to practice law after admitting to throwing a can of his own feces into a victim advocacy center's parking lot.
Jack Blakeslee, a Coal Ridge lawyer with over 40 years of experience, previously had his license suspended in November 2023 by the Ohio Supreme Court. The group of judges had charged him with professional misconduct after he threw a feces-filled Pringles can in 2021 at the property of Haven of Hope. The Cambridge victims advocacy center was scheduled to appear against him the same day in court for a capital murder trial.
The attorney was barred from practicing law as part of a one-year suspension over the case, but the court had held off on enforcing six months of that punishment as long as he did not engage in any further misconduct. After receiving an application from Blakeslee on Monday, the Ohio Supreme Court's Disciplinary Counsel decided to reinstate his license on Tuesday.
When it first decided to suspend Blakeslee's license, the court said a Haven of Hope surveillance camera, as well as one of its employees, witnessed the lawyer throw the Pringles can into the lot. Blakeslee had passed through an alleyway by the center twice in his car, and drove to the Guernsey County Courthouse for the 8:30 a.m. trial after throwing the feces.
The Board of Professional Conduct for the Ohio Supreme Court reported that there was clear evidence the attorney had committed the misconduct before suspending him. Blakeslee also explained in a deposition for the case that he threw the feces-filled can "to blow off steam."
Calling his misconduct a "prank" that was "stupid," Blakeslee admitted to throwing cans of his feces multiple times in the past. However, he said he wasn't targeting anyone specific, and would throw them at random from his car.
