333 N "F" St #329
Oxnard, CA 93030
8 November 2012 | Disbarred (12 years, 1 month ago) |
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11 March 2011 | Not Eligible To Practice Law in CA (13 years, 9 months ago) |
25 September 2007 | Active (17 years, 3 months ago) |
16 August 2007 | Not Eligible To Practice Law in CA (17 years, 4 months ago) |
9 January 1969 | Admitted to The State Bar of California (56 years ago) |
November 8, 2012 BRUCE GORDON JONES [#43448], 71, of Oxnard was disbarred Nov. 8, 2012, and was ordered to make restitution and comply with rule 9.20 of the California Rules of Court. Jones was suspended and placed on probation in 2011 but did not comply with probation conditions. He did not file four quarterly probation reports or submit proof that he made restitution, completed ethics school or passed the MPRE.According to the stipulation, disbarment is warranted if an attorney has a record of two prior disciplines. In the underlying matter, Jones stipulated to six counts of misconduct in two matters, including failures to perform legal services competently, respond to a client’s status requests, refund an unearned fee or return a client file, and he disobeyed a court order. He also was publicly reproved in 1992 for misdemeanor dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime. In mitigation, Jones cooperated with the bar by entering into a stipulated settlement of the disciplinary charges.March 11, 2011 BRUCE GORDON JONES [#43448], 70, of Oxnard was suspended for one year, stayed, placed on two years of probation with an actual 30-day suspension and he was ordered to take the MPRE within one year. The order took effect March 11, 2011. Jones stipulated to six counts of misconduct in two matters. In the first, he was hired in 2001 to eliminate or modify support payments to his client’s ex-wife due to changed circumstances. He worked on the case for about 10 months and although he did nothing further, he continued to send monthly billing statements to the client for the next four years. Unaware that Jones was no longer working on his matter, the client sent him new information about his ex-wife who, although she spent most of her time out of the country, was scheduled for a court appearance. The client explained it was important to act quickly so the former wife could be served with the modification order before she left the country again.Jones did nothing and the client lost his opportunity to obtain a reduction in support payments. Jones did not return the client’s many phone calls or refund nearly $1,000 in unearned fees.Another client paid Jones an advance $7,500 fee to complete her divorce and he represented her through trial. However, he never completed the final judgment and for two years, did not contact his client. She hired a new lawyer, but Jones did not sign a substitution form or return the file.He stipulated that he failed to perform legal services competently, respond to a client’s status requests, refund an unearned fee or return a client file, and he disobeyed a court order.Jones was publicly reproved in 1992 for misdemeanor dissuading a witness from prosecuting a crime. In mitigation, he cooperated with the bar’s investigation. |