Using money she was supposed to safeguard for clients and fees for legal services she never provided, authorities say attorney Jessica Miller and her paralegal went shopping at places like Victoria's Secret and Macy's.
They bought Tampa Bay Rays baseball tickets, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office says, and used the money to fund vacations for the law firm's employees and their families.
Now Miller, who has already lost her firm and her law license, is in jail charged with four felony counts of stealing money. Her former paralegal, Kristen Collins, faces the same charges.
Previously, Miller was handcuffed and led away in open court in August 2007 after a judge found her in contempt for missing three months of guardianship hearings. Miller paid $1,000 and got out of jail after two hours.
Full Article and Source:
Disbarred Port Richey attorney jailed on grand theft charges
More information:
Missing money lands troubled lawyer Jessica Miller back in Pasco jail
Former Port Richey Attorney Arrested On Theft Charges
They bought Tampa Bay Rays baseball tickets, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office says, and used the money to fund vacations for the law firm's employees and their families.
Now Miller, who has already lost her firm and her law license, is in jail charged with four felony counts of stealing money. Her former paralegal, Kristen Collins, faces the same charges.
Previously, Miller was handcuffed and led away in open court in August 2007 after a judge found her in contempt for missing three months of guardianship hearings. Miller paid $1,000 and got out of jail after two hours.
Full Article and Source:
Disbarred Port Richey attorney jailed on grand theft charges
More information:
Missing money lands troubled lawyer Jessica Miller back in Pasco jail
Former Port Richey Attorney Arrested On Theft Charges
The outright audacity here is sickening.
ReplyDeleteThese two need to go away for a long winter's nap.
One of many I suggest build more prisons and work camps.
ReplyDeleteMandatory bonding of all lawyer-guardians and other fiduciaries should be made mandatory.
ReplyDeleteI thought lawyers take some kind of oath when they pass the bar.
ReplyDeleteA powerful probate lawyer told me guardianship and estate probate cases is the ultimate test of one's honesty and character.
Many are failing the character test and those are the ones we know about that got caught.
It appears we can conclude that probate cases are on the honor system, dependent on the "character" of the agent of the court.
The greed of wall street, the greed of probate court all had red warning flags -is anyone paying attention?
Mandatroy bonding of lawyers is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteLawyers have a fund, IOLTA, or something like that -- and the fund is supposed to be to reimburse victims of really bad lawyers (theft and issues of that nature), but as with everything, they dismiss claims right and left.