Opinion ID: 2608843
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Facts Underlying the Convictions

Text: The facts on which the convictions were based are not in dispute. Between March 1985 and April 1986, petitioner, as appointed counsel for three indigent clients in capital cases, applied to the court for funds to pay investigators, experts, and others in connection with the preparation and presentation of his clients' defenses (see Pen. Code, § 987.9). The applications were granted and petitioner received a total of $35,500 in government funds, which he placed in three client trust accounts. Through a series of withdrawals from these client trust accounts, petitioner misappropriated for his personal use a total of $17,950. To make a deposit on an apartment, petitioner withdrew $650 in April 1985. To pay for charges on his credit card for personal expenses and for business expenses unrelated to the capital cases, petitioner made withdrawals totaling $8,300 in August 1985 and January 1986. To discharge Internal Revenue Service tax liens, petitioner made withdrawals totaling approximately $9,000 in the period January to March of 1986. An investigator working for petitioner reported to the district attorney's office that there appeared to be something seriously wrong with petitioner's handling of the entrusted funds. Upon learning that the district attorney's office had commenced an investigation, petitioner promptly withdrew from representation in the two capital cases that were still pending and rendered an accounting in all three cases. After his conviction by plea of nolo contendere, petitioner was granted probation conditioned on serving a short jail term and performing 1,000 hours of community service.