Opinion ID: 2395489
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the jeffrey billups matter:

Text: Paragraph 17 of Bar Counsel's petition avers that the financial record of the escrow account indicates that Jeffrey Billups' funds were `misappropriated by Respondent.' The testimony with regard to this claim showed that Respondent had handled a claim against CMX Corporation for five clients; McNeill, Scott, Wesley, Rogers and W. McNeill. The case was settled for a total of $37,243.81, which was deposited in the escrow account on July 22, 1991. After the settlement money had been disbursed to the clients and for fees, a check was issued to Jeffrey Billups in the amount of $1734.41 on February 18, 1992. A second check in the same amount was issued to Billups on February 25, 1992, marked `settlement-final-CMX.' It is Bar Counsel's position that since all of the funds had already been paid out, the payments to Billups must have come from other clients' money when it was written from the escrow account. Respondent's testimony was that he lost money on the CMX matter since he had to pay Billups from his fees. Billups' participation in the CMX matter is problematic. Respondent stated that Billups was not one of the people who was bringing a claim against CMX. This court was at a loss to understand why Respondent would have paid Billups anything since he had no claim against CMX and since the funds had already been distributed. The court finally asked the Respondent whether Billups had brought the other cases in, to which the Respondent replied, `He was very much a part of the group that came in with those guys, and was at most of the meetings that I attended; he was there providing documents and so forth.' This court can speculate as to the reason for the payments to Billups, and as to whether the payment invaded other clients' trust funds in the escrow, but it cannot make such finding by clear and convincing evidence. Rule BV-10(d).