Fresno lawyer disbarred by state for numerous complaints from clients

By Robert Rodriguez

Fresno attorney Jeffrey Bohn, shown here during a 2013 court hearing, has been disbarred by the California Supreme Court. Eric Paul Zamora

Read more here: https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article243239321.html#storylink=cpy

Fresno attorney Jeffrey D. Bohn has been disbarred by the California State Bar for committing multiple counts of misconduct against his clients.

Calling his actions extensive and serious, the State Bar reviewed more than a dozen cases of Bohn’s former clients — all of whom complained he mishandled their affairs.

In several instances, Bohn, a personal injury and medical malpractice attorney, is accused of holding onto his client’s settlement checks for weeks, months, sometimes even years, before handing their money over.

One client who was involved in a car accident complained that it took Bohn more than five years to take care of his request to have his medical bills reduced.

In other cases, his clients allege they got smaller settlements than he promised or his fee was higher than what they agreed upon.

After a hearing last fall, the State Bar court found Bohn guilty of 56 of the 90 counts leveled against him. Those counts included misappropriation, failing to perform legal services with competence, failing to pay client’s funds, failing to respond to clients inquiries and failing to cooperate in discipline investigation.

The state bar’s court issued its decision in January to disbar Bohn, a lawyer in California since 2006. Recently, the state Supreme Court approved the state bar’s action and Bohn’s status as a lawyer will be revoked on June 12.

In it’s 70-page decision, the state bar noted that Bohn had no prior record of misconduct before 2013.

Yvette D. Roland, judge of the state bar court, said normally a clean record could be used as mitigating factor when looking at discipline. But not in this case.

“Here, however, the present misconduct is extensive, serious and not aberrational,” Roland wrote in her decision.

In his defense, Bohn said he was going through emotional and physical difficulties, including health struggles with his daughters.

The court was only slightly understanding.

“While the court is sympathetic with the tragic events in respondent’s personal life, his extensive misconduct over such a lengthy period of time gives the court little reassurance that the misconduct will not continue.”

Bohn is also required to pay restitution of more than $20,000 to two of his former clients.

If Bohn is interested in being reinstated, he will have to wait five years to submit a petition for reinstatement.

He would also be required to meet several requirements, including pass a professional responsibility examination within one year prior to filing the petition, plus meet their rehabilitation standard and present moral qualifications for reinstatement.

They would also have to provide proof that they have taken and passed the Attorneys’ Examination by the Committee of Bar Examiners within three years prior to the filing of the petition

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Fresno lawyer disbarred by state for numerous complaints from clients