United States District Judge Abdul K Kallon sentenced the former Tuscaloosa County Probate Court conservator to three months in prison for failing to report a felony she knew had been committed, announced United States Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Pat Maley.
Judge Kallon sentenced ZONDRA T HUTTO, 61, of Tuscaloosa, and ordered her to pay $19,358 in restitution to the estate of the 79-year-old dementia patient whose welfare and property Hutto was supposed to protect. She is to report to prison January 2, 2012.
Hutto, a lawyer, pleaded guilty June 30 to misprision of a felony.
“This defendant was an officer of the court and someone assigned to protect the interests and property of people no longer able to conduct their own affairs,” Vance said. “Instead of honoring the trust of her position, Ms. Hutto failed to report the crimes of a close employee and violated the trust placed in her and required of her as a lawyer and as guardian and conservator of her ward’s estate.”
She was charged with knowing and not reporting to authorities that an employee in her law office fraudulently used a bank debit card belonging to one of her clients.
Between September 2007 and April 2008, a clerk in her law office repeatedly used a bank debit card belonging to a 79-year-old woman diagnosed with dementia. He used the card to withdraw $14,852 from ATMs, to buy two plane tickets to Mexico, costing $1,963, for himself and Hutto, to pay $1,059 for accommodations in Mexico, and to make 11 gasoline purchases totaling $584, according to Hutto’s plea agreement in the case.
During the same time, the clerk also used a department store credit card belonging to the nursing home patient to buy clothing for himself and a designer purse, which he gave Hutto for Christmas, according to the plea agreement.
Hutto was first appointed temporary guardianship in September 2007 of the elderly woman found to be in need of protective services. The Circuit Court of Tuscaloosa County granted Hutto permanent Letters of Guardianship and Letters of Conservatorship for the woman in December 2007.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Pat Meadows prosecuted the case.
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Tuscaloosa County Conservator Gets Prison for Failing to Report a Felony
Hooray for Judge Kallon. BTW, if he knew of the crime and he didn't report it, he would be guilty of misprision of a felony!
ReplyDeleteHow many judges know of the crime in guardianship and conservatorship and don't report it?
ReplyDeleteJudges enjoy judicial immunity.
Judicial immunity is a myth - judge-made law.
ReplyDeleteThe Constitution has no immunity clause. Here's what it says:
"The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour."
What is good behavior?
its about time this underused process to convict crooks surfaces
ReplyDeleteThree months in jail. Well, at least it sends a message.
ReplyDeleteThat attorney should spend more than three months in jail. If someone who was NOT an attorney did that we can rest assured the penalty would be much stiffer. What the law clerk and the attorney did is despicable. At least something was done.
ReplyDeleteJudicial immunity needs to be eliminated. They are not entitled to special privileges hiding behind their robes...they are not "special" people...they are human, just like the rest of us, no different. Once they lose thier immunity you can bet things would change very quickly!
I have had personal dealings with zondra. I have been fighting with
ReplyDeleteher misuse of my friends money and
I have seen her wearing my friends
diamond ring at different times. Three months is like a day compared to what she has done to her clients. The boy that used the ATM cards is 29 year old boy.