Fresno, CA 93712-0727
14 December 2005 | Disbarred (19 years, 4 months ago) Disbarment 00-O-12248 |
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24 July 2005 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (19 years, 9 months ago) Ordered inactive 00-O-12248 |
23 August 2004 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (20 years, 8 months ago) Suspended/Child & Fam Supp noncompliance |
18 September 2003 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 7 months ago) Ordered inactive 00-O-12248 |
16 September 2003 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (21 years, 7 months ago) Suspended, failed to pay fees |
30 July 2003 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 00-O-12248 (21 years, 9 months ago) |
7 December 1988 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (36 years, 5 months ago) |
December 14, 2005 ANTHONY DAVID MADEIROS [#138079], 44, of Fresno was disbarred Dec. 14, 2005, and was ordered to comply with rule 955. A State Bar Court hearing judge found that Madeiros committed 35 acts of misconduct in seven client matters and recommended an actual three-year suspension. Bar prosecutors sought review, seeking Madeiros' disbarment, and the review department agreed.The misconduct included failure to perform with competence, comply with court orders or communicate with clients, resulting in abandonment. He also represented clients with adverse interests and misappropriated more than $45,000 from five clients. One client's matter was dismissed with prejudice, sanctions totaling $8,155 were imposed against two clients, three clients lost $11,571 of their funds and two clients were sued by their insurance companies. The review department found that the misappropriation was intentional and took particular note of Madeiros' lack of remorse: when a client asked for her money, "he told her to get her money from him the best way she knew how."In one matter, for example, his client received a jury award of $15,000 in a personal injury case. The insurance company already had paid the client $2,000 and claimed a lien against the settlement, which Madeiros negotiated down to $933. After Madeiros took his fees, the client was entitled to $9,067. Neither the client nor the insurance company received any payment and Madeiros allowed the balance in his client trust account to fall to $550. The insurance company sued the client, who agreed to make monthly payments of $200 until the obligation was satisfied. He also lost the benefit of the reduced lien amount.In other matters, Madeiros missed court hearings, did not pay sanctions, used one client's funds to pay another, and moved his law office and changed his phone number without telling his clients.He failed to participate in the disbarment proceeding. |