Attorney hypnotized female clients into performing sexual acts at his office
On November 21, 2014, Ohio attorney Michael W. Fine agreed to the suspensionproposed against him by the Lorain County Bar Association. He is accused of hypnotizing female clients into performing sexual acts during professional meetings at his office. The unscrupulous attorney also reportedly used hypnosis on his clients inside conference rooms at the Lorain County Justice Center, while the women thought they were preparing for their court cases. Fine may have been inspired by the Woody Allen’s comedy, “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion,” in this unusual case that is infinitely stranger than fiction.
The first victim, identified only as Jane Doe #1, came to the Sheffield Village Police Department in September, 2014. She reported having no recollection of what happened during meetings with her attorney, who was handling a custody dispute case on her behalf. She strongly felt that something sexual was occurring without her consent, based on her physical sensations and the clothes that were clearly out of place. The victim wore a hidden camera and a microphone, which confirmed that her attorney, Michael Fine, was in fact using hypnotic techniques for his sexual gratification. Bar Association attorney Chris Cook told FOX 8 News, “Even a lay person could recognize that what appears to be going on is some hypnotic trance, things that you might associate with that, such as counting backwards, relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, focusing on colors, what are called code words I’ve come to learn … the use of hypnosis is real, and can be used for immoral, illegitimate and a very dark purpose.”
