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A national justice sentenced disbarred personage lawyer Tom Girardi to 7 years and 3 months successful situation for embezzling tens of millions of dollars from his clients, including respective with terrible carnal injuries and families of radical killed successful acc...
ByANDREW DALTON AP amusement writer
LOS ANGELES -- A national justice sentenced disbarred personage lawyer Tom Girardi to 7 years and 3 months successful situation connected Tuesday for embezzling tens of millions of dollars from his clients, including respective with terrible carnal injuries and families of radical killed successful accidents.
U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton besides ordered Girardi, 86, to wage a $35,000 good and $2.3 cardinal successful restitution to erstwhile clients. A assemblage successful August recovered him blameworthy of 4 counts of ligament fraud, and helium could person been sentenced to up to 80 years successful prison.
Girardi is the estranged hubby of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” prima Erika Jayne and appeared connected the amusement himself dozens of times betwixt 2015 and 2020.
He was erstwhile among the astir salient lawyers successful the nation, often representing victims of large disasters against almighty companies. One suit against California’s Pacific Gas and Electric inferior led to a $333 cardinal colony and was portrayed successful the 2000 Julia Roberts movie “Erin Brockovich.”
But his instrumentality empire collapsed, and helium was disbarred successful California successful 2022 implicit lawsuit thefts.
Girardi has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and issues with his representation led different tribunal to enactment him successful a conservatorship nether his brother. But connected Monday, Staton ruled that helium was mentally competent to beryllium sentenced, conscionable arsenic she had antecedently recovered him mentally competent to basal trial.
The justice had allowed him to stay escaped until his sentencing but ordered him to surrender to authorities by July 17.
An email to Girardi’s lawyer seeking remark connected the condemnation was not instantly answered.
Former clients who testified against Girardi astatine his proceedings included an Arizona pistillate whose hubby was killed successful a vessel mishap and victims who were burned successful a 2010 state pipeline explosion successful San Bruno, southbound of San Francisco.
Prosecutors played jurors voicemails successful which Girardi gave a litany of mendacious reasons wealth that a tribunal had awarded could not beryllium paid, including taxation and indebtedness obligations and justice authorizations. He often told them, “Don't beryllium huffy astatine me.”
English (US) ·