David Pasulka, Former Guardian Ad Litem, Charged With Sexual Assault

CHICAGO (CBS) — David Pasulka, a powerful attorney in the Cook County domestic relations court, was charged with three felony counts related to sexual assault and abuse after allegations surfaced that he offered to recommend a parent get full custody of her children in exchange for sex and sexually assaulted several employees.

Pasulka was charged with one count of criminal sexual assault, one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual abuse — charges that could carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.

On July 23, CBS 2 reported Pasulka was accused by the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) of offering to recommend a parent get full custody of her children if she had sex with him and touching her inappropriately during a meeting in 2016. The complaint also detailed allegations of repeated sexual assault of several employees at his law firm, Pasulka & Associates.

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The complaint sparked outrage within the domestic division of the Cook County circuit court, where divorce and child custody cases are decided.

Pasulka chaired a secretive committee that selects child representatives and guardians ad litem — attorneys appointed to represent the best interests of children in the midst of custody disputes — for more than 20 years. An attorney who works in the division wrote a letter to Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans and Judge Grace Dickler, who oversees the domestic division, calling for the two judges to resign for allowing Pasulka to remain in power.

In the letter, Attorney Lawrence Thompson said Pasulka had the ability to blackball opposing attorneys from a list of approved child representatives and guardians ad litem, preventing them from working on the often-lucrative cases.

"The administration selected a bully-pervert, and put him in charge of regulating which of his associates would be the high-income in-crowd in the Cook County domestic relations courts," the letter said.

After CBS 2 reported on the ARDC complaint, Dickler suspended Pasulka from serving as guardian ad litem in Cook County and removed him as the chair of the committee.

Records obtained by CBS 2 suggest that the ARDC first heard of allegations against Pasulka in March 2017.  When asked why the ARDC took over three years from the date of the first allegation to release the formal complaint, an ARDC spokesperson declined to comment citing Illinois Supreme Court rules that prevent the ARDC from discussing disciplinary action.

When asked if and how the new criminal charges would impact the ARDC case, the spokesperson replied "we have no further comment on the Pasulka case."

In July, Pasulka told CBS 2's Charlie De Mar he denies all the allegations against him. Pasulka said he is a leader in his field and has represented thousands of children, and feels he is being "dragged through the mud," adding that "this is the worst thing that's ever been laid on me."

Most recently, Pasulka was charged with driving drunk in a Glenview McDonald's parking lot.

Pasulka was given a $100,000 bond — meaning he has to pay $10,000 to be released — and is due back in court on September 18.