A Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11, for Congress had his license to practice law suspended after he disappeared a few days before the start of a client's trial seven years ago.
Andrew Ostrowski left a handwritten note saying he "committed extreme neglect" in the handling of the client's case in 2007, a report by the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania said.
Ostrowski, Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, also entered twice into drug treatment as an inpatient in 2003 and 2005 and went to a psychiatric facility for seven to 10 days in August 2007, the report said.
While Ostrowski represented himself before the board, he didn't testify that his personal difficulties caused his professional misconduct or present expert evidence that substance abuse affected his law practice, the report said. The board didn't mitigate the suspension of one year and one day against him, according to the report issued on Feb. 9, 2010.
A website for the board still lists Ostrowski's license as suspended, and Ostrowski did not return telephone messages left Monday and Tuesday at a law office number posted on a website for his campaign.
The report detailed a case in which Ostrowski represented a state worker who claimed in a federal lawsuit that he was demoted for union activities.
Ostrowski failed to notify the defense of 12 witnesses in a timely manner, making them ineligible to testify in the client's trial.
As the case proceeded, Ostrowski's status to practice law became inactive in July 2007 because he failed to keep up with continuing education requirements, the report said.
When the client went to Ostrowski's office after that, he learned that Ostrowski disappeared and found the handwritten note in his case file.
The report also said Ostrowski failed to clarify in writing that a $3,000 retainer that the client paid was nonrefundable nor did Ostrowski refund $119.60 to the client until the board contacted him.
In a resume on his campaign website, Ostrowski said he is a suspended civil rights lawyer, and the board threatened to delay a hearing on his reinstatement because of videos that he posted on YouTube.
In one of the videos, Ostrowski said he is still suspended. He said some personal problems interfered with his practice, and he accepts responsibility for them and accepts his punishment.
While he is eligible to apply for reinstatement, he initially declined to reapply.
"I've decided to focus on some of these bigger public interest issues," he said on YouTube.
In 2010, he formed Pennsylvania Civil Rights Law Network to support victims of judicial misconduct and correct court deficiencies.
A posting on the network's website said he reapplied for reopen proceedings against his license to practice law in May 2013. He wrote that he suffered post-traumatic syndrome after being burned as a child 40 years ago and receiving inappropriate treatment.