HE GAMBLED AND LOST ...... EVERYTHING

(This is a precis of a true story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch of Sunday, October 4, 1998)

When the police arrested a well-known local bookie, they found a coded list of about 40 gambling clients plus a large surprise - a cheque for more than $45,000 from the law practice of Ed S., a well-liked lawyer who was, until that time, the definition of a small-town success.

Ed S. grew up in Quincy, Illinois. He did well through school, passed the bar, came home to practice law, was involved in his church and even coached his daughter's soccer team. However, the public appearance was not the truth. When the state attorney called to ask about the cheque, Ed ran. He was arrested after a month as a fugitive, was convicted and sent to prison for 4 years. He wrote to the court for his sentencing - "The truly difficult part of my problem is how quickly and easily I moved from casual betting on Sunday afternoon football games to sports gambling obsessively on a daily basis .... It seemed to have happened in the blink of an eye."

Ed lost more than $140,000 in 1997 and stole $421,872 from his clients, including his own siblings who had put him in charge of their father's estate - only to find $222,000 missing. Other victims included a family that lost $90,000 of an inheritance and a family that lost a $23,000 settlement for the death of their daughter in a car accident.

One of the victims commented - "I wonder how someone with his intelligence, his capability could let himself fall this far." The next paragraph states: "The explanation, experts say, lies in the psychological cycle experienced by most compulsive gamblers. It begins as a thrill, but as soon as the gambler begins losing, it becomes a necessity." In other words, this behavior is an addictive illness just as alcoholism, drug addiction and eating disorders are.

Those who are suffering today include Ed's wife and three children (who knew nothing was wrong), his former clients, Ed himself and the whole legal community. While most people are sympathetic to Ed's illness and the resulting devastation, there is another attitude. Susan, who lost $90,000, is not impressed and says - "If he's feeling sorry for himself, that's pretty pathetic." Another writes - "It makes you wonder what your lawyer might be doing." The whole legal profession in Illinois has suffered. And, all lawyers get another black eye.

I would like to give you a happy ending, but there just isn't one. If Ed had called for help or someone had been able to intervene, perhaps there might not have been a front-page newspaper article and picture with the headline - "Lawyer shows the double life of a gambler".

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OLAP (Ontario Lawyers Assistance Program) provides one-on-one ongoing volunteer peer support and professional counselling to lawyers, judges and law students who suffer from alcohol, drug or other addictions, eating disorders, stress, burnout or mental illness. They will assist with referrals for support, assessments and counselling. If you, your partner or your spouse needs help, please call. All calls are strictly confidential. To contact the Volunteer Executive Director, call John Starzynski 1-877-584-6227. Leota Embleton, Program Manager, can be reached at 416-241-7983 or 1-877-576-6227. The OLAP 24-hour Helpline is 1-800-667-5722. For more information on OLAP and other programs that offer assistance click here.