A Pennsylvania attorney is facing suspension after he not only admitted that he was high on cocaine during a client’s DUI hearing – but also that he felt like the stimulant made him a better lawyer.
A state investigative panel recommended that Nathaniel Strasser, 44, have his legal license suspended for at least one year and one day, according to the local publication GoErie.
Strasser defended his drug use during a September disciplinary panel, which was held after Pennsylvania State Trooper Chris Webber observed that the attorney “was very hyperactive, fidgety” during a November 2022 preliminary hearing.
At the time, Strasser was representing a woman who was accused of driving under the influence. Strasser owns his own legal practice but was representing the woman in his capacity as a part-time assistant public defender for Erie County, according to court records.
Webber further alleged that Strasser was wearing sunglasses indoors and that he had a bloody nose. After the hearing, A state trooper stopped Strasser from driving his vehicle, while the lawyer refused to take a field sobriety test.
“It was a bright day, midday, bright, sunny sky, little to no clouds, and his pupils were so large that I couldn’t tell you what color his eyes were,” said Webber, according to court records.
The chief public defender subsequently requested that Strasser take a drug test, which he failed after testing positive for cocaine. He was fired from his position in the public defender’s office.
