The Kentucky Supreme Court suspended an attorney in the state from practicing law for three years after he attempted to harass and intimidate other lawyers during a custody dispute involving his children.
Ben Dusing has been temporarily suspended from practicing law in the state since 2022, when a profanity-filled 2021 Facebook message he sent to opposing attorneys in his custody case came to light.
Dusing used the word "f***" almost 50 times in his 9-minute online tirade and threatened to blow up the attorneys.
He has since apologized to the court for his actions, claiming that he was advocating for court reform and fighting alleged "corruption" in the process.
His contentions were dismissed by the justices, who said that the video was “incredibly disturbing and threatening.”
Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter and Justices Debra Lambert, Kelly Thompson and Michelle Keller voted for the three-year suspension, while Justices Angela McCormick Bisig and Robert Conley thought Dusing should be permanently disbarred.
The justices also said that Dusing had a “history of engaging in frivolous litigation” during family court proceedings.
“Dusing failed to use the law’s procedures for legitimate purposes and instead intentionally sought to harass and intimidate others,” the ruling stated.
During the case against him, Dusing tried to get the judge recused and filed over two dozen appellate motions. He also tried to get the opposing attorney disqualified prior to the start of the case.
He spent seven days in jail last year for failing to abide by restrictions in communication with his ex-fiancee.
Dusing used to represent high profile clients as a federal prosecutor in the state.
He prosecuted former Cincinnati City Council member Jeff Pastor on a corruption charge, for example.
Dusing spent the last year in Ukraine as an aid runner while appealing his sentence.
