Supreme Court Rules Against Reinstating Law License Of Crime Boss’s Son

In a 5-1 decision on Tuesday, the state Supreme Court refused to reinstate the law license of the son of a former Milwaukee organized crime boss, saying that he does not have the moral character to practice law in the state.

John Balistrieri lost his license in 1980s after an FBI sting operation landed him in federal prison for five years on charges of attempted extortion.

Tuesday’s ruling rejects his second attempt to get his license back. This time he had the support of several prominent attorneys, including James Shellow, who defended Balistrieri’s father Frank in several mob-related cases. Shellow said Balistrieri was a victim of his father’s mob reputation and was convicted more for being a Balistrieri than for attempted extortion.

Shellow said the court used a double standard in its decision, since it has reinstated lawyers convicted of much more serious offenses.

“The Wisconsin Supreme Court has given us one law for Frank Balistrieri’s son John, who stole nothing and cheated no one, and another law for Judge David Jennings’ son David the third, who stole $85,000 from a trust and cheated clients of over a half a million dollars and was given his law license back,” said Shellow.

The unsigned opinion quotes from testimony Baslistrieri gave in his application for reinstating his law license, in which he said that while he served his prison time on the extortion charges he still doesn’t believe he did anything wrong. The ruling says that belief indicates he has not taken full responsibility for his crime, and therefore should not be allowed to practice law.

Justice Anne Walsh Bradley wrote a dissenting opinion saying Balistrieri had met all the criteria for getting his license back.