Judge Steve Lile Disbarred

Three years ago, Steve Lile went from being one of the state's top judges to just another attorney because of a sex scandal at the state Capitol.

This morning, the state Supreme Court decided Lile couldn't even be an attorney any more.

Justices disbarred Lile, 60, "from the practice of law" because of the seriousness of his misconduct while a judge on the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Supreme Court agreed he had committed multiple violations of the standards of conduct including actions that "undermined public confidence in the integrity of the judicial system."

Lile declined comment today. Last year, he said at a disciplinary hearing, "I was plain stupid. I wasn't thinking straight."

Lile resigned in 2005 from the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

The Supreme Court found Lile had submitted false travel claims and false expense claims while a judge. He also had involved himself improperly in his son's drug cases and after an administrative assistant, Dawn Lukasik, was arrested in December 2004 for an alleged drug violation.

The assistant was not charged at the time.

Lile's troubles began after he hired Lukasik, a former lover, as his administrative assistant at the court at a time when his own marriage was failing. He said last year he discovered from her that they had a son together and the son, Loran Michael Wilson, was having drug problems.

She was 18 when their son was born. Lile was married and then 37.

The Supreme Court said he traveled at taxpayers' expense from June 24 to Oct 29, 2004, almost on a weekly basis to see his incarcerated son or to take care of legal and other issues involving his son.

"On some of the trips he was accompanied by Dawn Lukasik," the Supreme Court wrote. "He filed travel claims seeking reimbursement for these personal trips, claiming he attended project conferences, projects or meetings of the Regimented Inmate Discipline (RID) Program offered by the Department of Corrections. But there were no RID project conferences, projects or meetings on the dates for which he filed travel claims."

The Supreme Court said the false expenses claims were for purchases made by Lukasik, who was remodeling his office, and her daughter. "Some of those claims were for personal items unrelated to the remodeling," the Supreme Court said.

Before quitting as a judge, Lile reimbursed the state $1,523.64 for the travel and $1,560.43 for the "office" purchases made by Lukasik, or her daughter.

Lile was investigated by the state attorney general but not charged.

Lukasik was charged three times in 2005 on offenses related to methamphetamine and she admitted she had a drug problem. She eventually went to prison.

Lile represented Lukasik in the drug cases and married her when she was released from prison, records show.