Lawyer For Highway Commissioner Accused Of Plagiarizing

The legal fees continue to mount for Algonquin Township, and, this past week, a strange twist to an already bizarre saga came as plagiarism accusations have been levied against the attorney who represents Highway Commissioner Andrew Gasser, the Northwest Herald reports. Billing records show Woodstock lawyer Robert Hanlon charges $400 per hour for his services and has already cost the township $107,000 in fees this year after billing $276,00 last year. The plagiarism accusations stem from an April 25 legal brief filed in a lawsuit against Clerk Karen Lukasik, former highway commissioner Bob Miller and Miller's wife, Anna May Miller, according to the newspaper report.

When attorneys defending the Millers and Lukasik took a closer look at the case file, they noticed a change from Hanlon's "distinct writing style." So they turned to Google and searched the text. They found, according to the Northwest Herald, 1,000 words copied verbatim and that hadn't been cited from an April 2011 Chicago Daily Law Bulletin article and a primer on temporary restraining order from Chicago-based firm Jenner & Block.

Hanlon told the Northwest Herald he did not plagiarize the copy.

“Go pound sand,” Hanlon said. “I’m not dignifying that.”

Trustees with the Algonquin Township board are expected to discuss the plagiarism allegations at a meeting tonight. The board meets starting at 7 p.m. in lower level room 2 at the Algonquin Township building, 3702 US Highway 14 in Crystal Lake.

More via the Nortwhest Herald

Photo via Shutterstock

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