A fee arrangment that was a little too unusual.

The Oklahoma City Oklahoman has a story about a lawyer who allegedly arranged to have sex with his client's thirteen year-old daughter as part of his fee agreement with the client. 


According to the story, Jeremy Daniel Oliver, a 33-year-old attorney practicing in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, sent text messages to a female client of his and her two daughters (one 13 and one 18) asking that that he have sex with the three females.  Mr. Oliver allegedly offered $1,000 off his fee for sexual favors and/or nude pictures of the 18 year-old and $500 off his fee for sexual favors and/or nude pictures of the 13-year-old. 

According to the probable cause affidavit, police officers were present when the the texts were received by the women. When police went to arrest Mr. Oliver, they apparently found marijuana and "several hundred nude photographs of females" according to the story.  As a result, the Garvin County Sheriff believes that Mr. Oliver may have done this sort of thing before. 

The charging documents indicate that Mr. Oliver, who denies any wrongdoing, faces up to 21 years in prison on the charges.  In addition to the felony count of soliciting sexual contact with a minor by use of technology and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.  Mr. Oliver is also charged with a felony count of distributing obscene material because he allegedly sent the client a picture of his penis. 

While it is not entirely clear to me whether it is the same person, there is a Jeremy D. Oliver practicing law in Wynnewood, Oklahoma that has a website.  You can read about his services here. 

The Oklahoma Bar Association apparently handles lawyer discipline in Oklahoma.  I assume the they will take an interest in Mr. Oliver's case.  After all Rule 1.2(d) of the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits a lawyer from counseling a client to break the law.  If the allegations against Mr. Oliver are true, it certainly seems like Mr. Oliver violated this provision when he suggested that the mother convince her daughters to have sex with Mr. Oliver in exchange for a reduction in the client's fee.

I realize that advice is what you pay for it.  And I also realize that this blog does not provide legal advice.  So here is some free marketing advice for the lawyers out there.  Do not make fee agreements of the sort that Mr. Oliver is charged with trying to make.  Setting aside the criminal law and professional responsibility issues, these sort of charges are a bad way for a lawyer to get their name out in the community.