A New York attorney who used a client’s money for her personal expenses was disbarred.
“We have consistently disbarred attorneys who intentionally convert client or third-party funds,” said the Sept. 17 per curiam decision by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division.
Melissa Bernier was hired in 2014 to represent a man from Martinique charged with burglary while in the U.S. on a tourist visa. He was arrested after he broke into a private home in upstate New York and went to sleep, according to the court.
Bernier ultimately negotiated a guilty plea to a reduced charge and was sentenced ...
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