Court Opinion

ID: 9531927
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:16:01.185601+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:28:37.482607
License: Public Domain

DUNN, Justice
(concurring specially).
I would concur in affirming the decision of the trial court under the facts of this case. I believe, however, that a word of caution is in order as to the implications of this decision.
The intermingling of a client’s funds with his own by an attorney is a serious breach of trust and has always been frowned on by the legal fraternity. I am sure that most attorneys have trust accounts for their clients’ funds, but to those few who don’t I would state that this charge of embezzlement should be a red alert; a trust account for clients’ funds becomes imperative; and, further, personal bills best not be paid out of that trust account. At some place the commingling of clients’ funds with one’s own becomes embezzlement. If personal checks are written by the attorney on an account containing clients’ funds, this is sufficient to show appropriation under the broad language of SDCL 22-38-3 as interpreted in this decision. This leaves the issue of “fraudulent intent” which generally must be proved by implication from the facts surrounding the case. The circumstances in this case are flagrant enough to leave little doubt that this issue was properly submitted to the jury for resolution. The question left unanswered is — at what stage do the circumstances surrounding the commingling of funds make out a prima facie case of embezzlement for submission to a jury?