Lawyer reprimanded for claiming he had dementia to get excused from case
An Iowa lawyer who was appointed to represent a criminal defendant was recently reprimanded for claiming that he had dementia, so that he could be excused from the case. (Image from Shutterstock)
An Iowa lawyer who was appointed to represent a criminal defendant was recently reprimanded for claiming that he had dementia, so that he could be excused from the case.
Emmetsburg, Iowa, attorney Fred Blake Perkins was recently reprimanded in a letter from the Iowa Supreme Court’s Attorney Disciplinary Board, which said it was “deeply concerned by your misrepresentations to the presiding court,” according to the Daily Nonpareil.
Perkins was appointed by the court in December 2024 to represent a man charged with harassment and domestic abuse. In September 2025, after the court denied Perkins’ request to withdraw from the case, he allegedly renewed his request by filing paperwork claiming that he was not competent to conduct legal research and was experiencing symptoms of early-onset dementia. Perkins was 55 years old at the time.
A letter from the board in February said Perkins “conceded that the statements in your filing regarding cognitive decline were completely without merit and unsupported by any medical diagnosis. A subsequent medical evaluation confirmed that you do not suffer from any cognitive impairment that would affect your ability to practice law.”
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Topics: Career & Practice
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