Opinion ID: 2079181
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: matthewson matter

Text: Respondent acted as court appointed co-counsel to the joint administrators of the Estate of Robert W. Matthewson. Pursuant to his responsibilities for the estate administration, respondent received two checks totalling $28,155.12, which were endorsed by the administrators and respondent. That amount was deposited by respondent in his personal savings account No. 625-207 with The Trust Company of New Jersey on February 29, 1980. On March 12th of that year, $11,000 of the $28,155.12 was withdrawn from the savings account and deposited in the respondent's trust account. On the very same day, the respondent's trust account shows a withdrawal of $10,990 for payment of a certified check. That certified check was utilized as described in II. A., above, to return the PABL/DeLorenzo escrow funds. The District Ethics Committee concluded that the respondent misappropriated both the escrow funds being held pursuant to the PABL/DeLorenzo contract and the more than $28,000 belonging to the Estate of Robert W. Matthewson. In addition, the Committee determined that the respondent, in affidavit regarding the PABL/DeLorenzo escrow deposit, misrepresented the facts to the Court. On June 3, 1980, a Consent Order was entered temporarily suspending the respondent from the practice of law pending final disposition of the ethics complaints pending against him.