MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—Marion attorney Jack VanBibber was scheduled to appear before the Ohio Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Conduct on May 15, but had his hearing postponed. The Board approved an amended complaint, granting VanBibber until May 30 to respond to several serious allegations.
The allegations against VanBibber include:
- Inappropriate Relationships: He allegedly engaged in a sexual relationship with a client, violating ethical guidelines and lying about the timeline of this relationship during court proceedings.
- Sending Inappropriate Messages: VanBibber reportedly sent sexually explicit messages to the significant other of another client, further demonstrating a disregard for professional boundaries.
- Failure to Appear: He missed two court hearings related to a custody case and did not file a motion to appear via Zoom, subsequently misrepresenting the reasons for his absence during later court appearances.
- False Statements: VanBibber is accused of making misleading statements regarding his absences from hearings and failing to cooperate with investigations into his conduct, including ignoring multiple requests for information from the Disciplinary Counsel.
These allegations detail multiple breaches of attorney-client relationships, instances of neglect, and violations of the standards expected of legal practitioners.
Currently, VanBibber is serving a two-year stayed suspension imposed in May 2024 due to previous violations of professional conduct.
In a two-count December 2022 complaint, disciplinary counsel charged VanBibber with a total of five ethical violations, arising primarily from his being charged with and convicted of traffic offenses in multiple Ohio counties, his dishonesty with law-enforcement officers during traffic stops, his failure to comply with court orders related to his traffic violations, his mismanagement of his client trust account, and his failure to cooperate in the ensuing disciplinary investigation. The parties submitted stipulations of fact, misconduct (including three ethical violations that were not charged in complaint), and aggravating and mitigating factors. According to the documents, VanBibber is on “monitored probation”. In a letter dated June 2, 2023, Marion Prosecutor Ray Grogan showed support for VanBibber to be allowed to continue to practice law in Marion. He told the Board: “Please accept this letter on behalf of Jack Van Bibber. I have known and worked with Jack for approximately two years. Initially, please let me tell you that Jack, in my opinion, is a very good lawyer. He works hard for his clients. He is prepared for hearings. He knows the law, and when he doesn’t, he will research it. We have had a great need for court-appointed counsel in both our General Division and Juvenile Division and Jack has filled a vital role here in Marion in the past few years taking on court-appointed cases.” Grogan went on to say he understood that VanBibber had made a series of bad decisions: “He has driven without a license. He has driven without insurance. And, perhaps most troubling, it appears that Jack may have driven while he was intoxicated. In short, Jack knows he screwed up.” Grogan said. Noting that VanBibber had acknowledged his mistakes, Grogan asked the panel to allow him to continue to serve Marion. The Board agreed with Grogan and gave VanBibber’s suspension a stay.
The latest complaint indicates that, in his brief career, (he was admitted to the Bar in 2018), VanBibber has engaged in even more egregious unprofessional conduct, including exploiting the clients Grogan endorsed him to be able to represent.
Explicit texts—deemed too graphic to publish without a content warning—can be found beginning on page 19 of the amended complaint.
For access to the full complaint, including detailed text messages and Snapchat exchanges, click the link below:
VanBibber continues to represent clients in the Marion area court system as both a retained attorney and court-appointed counsel.
Ray Grogan’s letter to the Board
“When I wrote my letter two years ago, the driving and bookkeeping problems this attorney caused were small and he was eager to address them. Since then, it appears he has had more serious legal ethics issues arise. As I said in my letter from two years ago, he must be held accountable.”
—Ray Grogan, Marion County Prosecutor
Marion County Now will continue to follow this developing story.