Court disbars Twin Cities attorney after misconduct investigation

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday banned veteran Twin Cities attorney Michael B. Padden from practicing law in the state after an investigation found a lengthy pattern of misconduct.

The court initially suspended Padden in late 2023 after some of his former clients filed complaints with the the Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.

Richard C. Perkins, a retired judge hired by the court to investigate Padden, found that among other infractions, the attorney had forged a client's signature on a fee contract in a criminal case and pocketed $25,000.

In another case, Padden urged a client to skip a sentencing hearing in Wisconsin, and the defendant wound up with a much harsher sentence than he would have otherwise received.

According to documents filed in the disbarment proceedings, Padden testified at a hearing in May that he suffers from depression and PTSD, but the court said it could not consider his mental health as a mitigating factor without additional proof.

Padden told MPR News previously that he’s been the victim of a “witch hunt” by state regulators.

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