BEULAH -- An attorney grievance board reprimanded former Benzie County Prosecutor Anthony Cicchelli for dismissing his stepson's speeding ticket.
Cicchelli also must pay about $800 in costs after the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission's investigation into the March incident. Cicchelli, who left office on Dec. 31, was reprimanded for asking Benzie Magistrate Hope Cicansky to throw out a speeding ticket issued to his stepson.
Barbara Budros, a Traverse City attorney who sat on a disciplinary panel of three attorneys, said Cicchelli worked out what amounts to a plea agreement with the Grievance Commission.
The panel signed off on the discipline, which Budros said seemed fitting for a conflict of interest situation. The fact that Cicchelli is no longer in public office also was considered, Budros said.
"The reprimand seemed appropriate for the level of misconduct in this case, and the fact, too, that he's not serving as a prosecuting attorney so he wouldn't be in a position to do this type of thing in the future," she said.
Beulah Attorney John B. Daugherty was elected Benzie prosecutor in November. Cicchelli, who served three terms, withdrew from the race prior to the August primary.
Cicchelli received a greater degree of discipline the last time had a run-in with the Grievance Commission. In 2005, he was given a formal reprimand and also ordered to complete a "professional enhancement workshop" and community service for a similar infraction.
That year he pleaded no contest to a charge that he made "negligently inaccurate statements" to a magistrate and state police during an investigation of a 2002 incident when he dismissed a friend's speeding ticket.
Cicchelli was "very forthcoming" during the investigation of the latest incident, Budros said.
"The difference was in the first case he was deceptive, he wasn't up front about (the charges)," she said. "This time around he didn't lie to anybody, he didn't deceive anybody."
Cicchelli couldn't be reached for comment. He is in private practice and is on the court-appointed attorney list in Benzie County, a secretary at the prosecutor's office said.
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