JJ reported yesterday that Jackson attorney Ramel Cotton was disbarred after a Mississippi Supreme Court tribunal determined that he stole money from his clients, lied to the tribunal, refused to provide his trust account records when ordered to do so, and approved the forging of signatures. The discovery of Cotton's misdeeds may not be over as another former client sued Cotton in Hinds County Chancery Court in July for embezzling his settlement proceeds.
The complaint follows a similar pattern of facts and actions that resulted in Cotton's disbarment. The client suffered an injury in a car wreck. Cotton negotiates a settlement with the insurance company. The client incurs medical bills. The insurance company sends Cotton a check. Cotton pockets the money while the client is clueless that Cotton is picking his pocket. The client eventually discovers his lawyer got his money but the money has disappeared. Rinse, repeat.
Armon Johnson suffered injuries from a car wreck in 2012 and hired Ramel Cotton. Allstate Insurance Company settled with Cotton for $10,860 and sent him a check for that amount. Johnson didn't discover the settlement until February 2016. The complaint states that Cotton did not disburse any of the settlement funds to Johnson despite receiving it in November 2013. Johnson has been unable to contact Cotton. His chiropractor sued Cotton but the shyster failed to appear in court.
Johnson seeks an accounting of the proceeds and asked the court to order Cotton to deposit the funds with the court. He also asked for damages, including punitive, as well. Attorney Felicia Perkins represents the victim. The case is assigned to Special Chancellor Larry Buffington. The summons was returned executed on September 11.
Kingfish note: Will the District Attorney prosecute this clown for his embezzlement?
10 comments:
Is the legal market getting bad? Do you want to thin the competitive herd while making money zealously representing clients who were victims of legal malpractice? More importantly, did tort reform mess up your game plan after your elderly peers sued everyone into oblivion?
Ask the bar to regulate you and your coven into buying legal malpractice insurance! Let's be honest here, the only real incentive for seemingly ethical lawyers to hold evil lawyers accountable is monetary in nature, and legal malpractice insurance pays!
Not only will it be good for your pocket book, but you will be doing all of us non-lawyers a favor by improving the quality of life in Mississippi. It's a win-win proposition.
Most insurance policies do not cover the insured for intentional acts
I say "Hooray!" for finding an attorney to assist you with the wrongdoing of another attorney. Tried for about 3 years and wound up pro se.
Looks like it’s time to sho nuff make him a jail house lawyer...
I am an attorney who sues other attorneys for malpractice as large part of my practice. Most folks have been turned down by several lawyers before they find me. I, however, have to turn away a lot of potential cases. Suing other attorneys is a real uphill battle in most instances.
I also get called every name in the book by defense counsel - but I really don't care about that.
Malpractice insurance will do you no good when the issue is an intentional act on the part of the misbehaving attorney.
Why is he still walking the 'streets of Bakersfield'? With apologies to Buck Owens.
@12:18 - its that whole innocent until proven guilty in a court of law thing.
wait...his name is cotton?
maybe Carlos could fit him into his schedule after he finishes with this nwrankin high school suit
Link to article from jtv
Like the others before him, a chancellor could hold him in contempt and incarcerate him
until he pays back the money he stole. Everyone wins then
Victims need to file complaints with police or D.A.
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