Former
Duane
Morris
partner
Adam
P.
Beckerink
pleaded
no
contest
to
charges
he
abused
his
late
wife,
Caitlin
Tracey,
and
interfered
with
a
call
she
made
to
911.
Additionally,
Beckerink
entered
a
guilty
plea
to
a
contempt
of
court
charge
for
violating
a
no
contact
order.
The
charges
stem
from
a
2024
incident
two
months
before
Tracey
was
found
dead
in
the
stairwell
of
Beckerink’s
apartment
building
in
Chicago’s
South
Loop,
with
her
severed
foot
nearby.
After
Tracey’s
death,
the
allegations
of
abuse
she
made
against
her
husband
became
public.
Duane
Morris
removed
Beckerink
from
the
partnership,
saying,
“This
is
a
shocking
and
tragic
case,
and
we
send
our
deepest
condolences
to
the
family
and
friends
of
Caitlin
Tracey.
Our
firm
was
not
aware
of
the
domestic
violence
and
other
allegations
against
Adam
Beckerink
asserted
in
various
legal
proceedings
until
recent
media
accounts
of
her
death.
Once
we
confirmed
key
facts,
the
partners
board
swiftly
removed
Adam
as
a
partner
of
Duane
Morris
LLP.
He
is
no
longer
associated
with
our
firm.”
As
reported
by
the
ABA
Journal,
Beckerink’s
pleas
avoid
a
trial:
Beckerink
avoided
a
trial
scheduled
to
begin
Sept.
9
as
a
result
of
the
plea.
A
judge
had
ruled
in
June
that
during
the
scheduled
trial,
prosecutors
could
play
Tracey’s
911
call
for
help
in
August
2024
and
show
police
body
camera
footage
showing
Beckerink’s
arrest
for
domestic
abuse
at
the
Michigan
home,
ABC
7
Chicago previously
reported.
Beckerink
will
be
sentenced
October
20th.
Beckerink
has
not
been
charged
in
the
death
of
Tracey.
The
medical
examiner
has
not
issued
a
finding
on
Tracey’s
cause
of
death.
If
you’re
a
victim
of
familial
or
domestic
violence,
reach
out
if
you
need
help.
If
you
feel
that
you
are
in
immediate
danger,
please
call
the National
Domestic
Violence
Hotline at
1-800-799-SAFE
(7233).
Assistance
is
available
in
English
and
Spanish.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].