The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (Lewis F. Powell Jr. Courthouse) in Richmond, Virginia. Credit: Acroterion via Wikimedia Commons Wrongly Convicted Clients Don't Owe Fees After Attorney Ethics Violations, Court Says
A law firm's claim for unpaid fees was rightfully dismissed due to the attorney's exploitation of disabled clients, the Fourth Circuit holds.
April 19, 2023 at 03:45 PM
3 minute read
Two wrongfully convicted brothers do not owe legal fees to the law firm that previously represented them after one of its partners was found to have exploited the intellectually disabled clients, a federal appeals court said Tuesday.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit the Florida-based firm Halscott Megaro brought seeking unpaid fees from their ex-clients Henry McCollum and Leon Brown, who were wrongfully imprisoned in the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl in North Carolina. McCollum and Brown received a jury award of $75 million in compensatory and punitive damages against the state.
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