Beverly Hills, CA 90211
25 August 1996 | Disbarred (28 years, 8 months ago) Disbarment 93-O-15179 |
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24 November 1995 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (29 years, 5 months ago) |
6 February 1995 | Active (30 years, 3 months ago) |
6 November 1994 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (30 years, 6 months ago) Suspended, failed to pass Prof.Resp.Exam 90-O-12867 |
22 September 1994 | Active (30 years, 7 months ago) |
29 August 1994 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (30 years, 8 months ago) Suspended, failed to pay fees |
18 April 1994 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 94-O-12060 (31 years ago) |
10 January 1994 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 93-O-15179 (31 years, 3 months ago) |
19 May 1993 | Active (31 years, 11 months ago) |
26 March 1993 | Not eligible to practice law in CA (32 years, 1 month ago) Discipline w/actual suspension 90-O-12867 |
10 October 1991 | Disciplinary charges filed in State Bar Court 90-O-12867 (33 years, 7 months ago) |
19 December 1988 | Admitted to the State Bar of California (36 years, 4 months ago) |
August 25, 1996 LECIA L. SHORTER [#139083], 46, of Beverly Hills was disbarred Aug. 25, 1996, and ordered to comply with rule 955. In a strongly worded decision, former State Bar Court Judge David Wesley wrote, "to put it plainly, (Shorter) has stolen, lied, and is unrepentant. . . . She is seemingly incapable of conforming her conduct to the professional standards established for California attorneys. . . . Her actions before this court, whether by design or incompetence, have misled the court and have demonstrated her contempt for the disciplinary system."Shorter misappropriated $7,000 from clients she represented in two unlawful detainer actions. Although she claimed the funds were her attorney fees for her alleged representation of the clients in a separate federal case, the judge disagreed. Her trust account records indicated the funds apparently were used by Shorter to settle other clients' personal injury claims and to pay other expenses, he said. Wesley even quoted a federal judge who had accused Shorter of unprofessionalism in the federal case and who said individuals such as Shorter made the legal profession look "worse than used car salesmen."During the disciplinary hearing, Shorter tried to have one of her own witnesses cited for contempt, but her motion was found to be based on a perjured declaration.Wesley called the incident "disturbing," and noted that in another discipline case against Shorter, she made a similar misrepresentation by filing a false proof of service."Although the court considered the conduct at that time to be an extremely aggravating circumstance, (Shorter) was given one more chance and not disbarred," the court wrote. Shorter "has reinforced to this court that she lacks the ability to fulfill her duties and obligations to the public and the legal profession." Shorter did not file quarterly probation reports, but testified her failure was unintentional because she "was suffering from emotional problems, was depressed, and protected herself by blocking out certain things, particularly correspondence from the State Bar."Although Shorter claimed in the most recent case to suffer from depression, the court said she did not present convincing evidence that her mental problems were linked to the misconduct.Shorter was previously disciplined in 1993 after failing to deposit entrusted funds in a trust account. |