Woodland Hills, CA 91364-3133
21 June 2000 | Discipline, probation; no actual susp. 94-O-18642 (25 years ago) |
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26 March 1998 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 94-O-18642 (27 years, 3 months ago) |
7 December 1988 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (36 years, 6 months ago) |
June 21, 2000 WALTER F. WIGGINS JR. [#138403], 38, of Verdugo City was suspended for six months, stayed, and placed on 18 months of probation. The order took effect June 21, 2000. Wiggins represented a corporation in the collection of accounts receivable; he was required to remit the company’s portion of all the money collected on its behalf. Although he collected numerous checks over the course of nine months, he did not turn over any funds to the client.The client fired Wiggins and despite repeated demands for an accounting, he did not pay any funds for nine months.He stipulated that he did not promptly pay client funds, failed to provide an accounting, failed to return client files for more than a year and a half, and used his client trust account as a personal account, commingling personal and client funds.In mitigation, Wiggins has no record of discipline. His delay in paying monies, returning files and accounting for client funds was exacerbated by a fire in his office and the Northridge earthquake, both of which caused damage to his office and its contents and resulted in the dislocation of his practice. |