When You Can’t Trust the Watchdogs, You Become One.
And today, Clutch Justice submitted a formal ethics complaint against Attorney Michael Carroll, currently serving as City Attorney for Lockport, Illinois, and formerly Deputy City Manager and Chief Legal Officer for the City of Portage, Michigan. The complaint was filed with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC), alleging that Carroll failed to report his 2020 drunk driving conviction in both Illinois and Michigan, a clear ethics violation under both states’ professional conduct rules.
This wasn’t a baseless accusation or personal vendetta. This is a demand for accountability backed by public records, arrest video footage, and court filings.
But what should have been a simple process quickly turned into a lesson in how broken and outdated our attorney oversight systems really are, especially in Michigan.
Illinois: A Reasonable System (With a Catch)
Illinois, at least, allows complaints to be submitted via email. I compiled the evidence, wrote a formal letter, and cited the appropriate professional conduct rules (like Illinois Rule 8.3, 8.4, and Rule 761(a)). Easy peasy; I submitted it directly to the ARDC.
It was modern. It was functional. It acknowledged that citizens shouldn’t need to be lawyers to report a lawyer’s misconduct.
Michigan’s reporting? Not at all that easy.
Michigan: Stuck in the 1980s and Designed to Deter
When it comes to Michigan’s Attorney Grievance Commission, I didn’t bother. Because the process is deliberately antiquated.
You can’t email them, you can’t file a complaint online. You must physically print, sign, and mail a paper form, and not just one, but TWO copies.
That’s right: the watchdog for licensed Michigan attorneys doesn’t even accept digital submissions. This isn’t just bureaucratic, it’s purposefully obstructionist; a gatekeeping strategy to deter complaints.
If you’re a disabled person, incarcerated, out of state, or lack access to a printer and stamps, you’re essentially locked out of the complaint process entirely.
Why This Complaint Matters
Michael Carroll was convicted of Operating While Intoxicated in Michigan with a BAC of 0.17. He was supposed to face enhanced penalties. Instead, he got a fine, kept his job in Portage, skated off to Illinois, and never reported the conviction to Michigan or Illinois, as required under Michigan Court Rule 9.120(A) and Illinois Rule 8.4.
He moved on to become Lockport’s top legal advisor with no public record of discipline, no acknowledgment of the conviction, and no accountability from either state’s bar.
If attorneys like Carroll can hold power, dodge disclosure rules, and slide across state lines unchallenged, then the entire premise of bar oversight is a complete façade.
We’re Not Done Yet
Clutch Justice isn’t just here to complain. We’re here to expose, document, and pursue what the system won’t. This case is one of many and we’ll continue to file, track, and publish every complaint we submit.
Want to join us?
Start with the Citizen’s Guide to Taking On Your Local Government. Let’s turn every broken process into a paper trail they can’t ignore.
