The California State Bar has accused a California criminal defense attorney of repeatedly taking thousands of dollars from clients without producing any legal work or service of value.
The State Bar’s Office of Chief Trial Counsel (OCTC) filed a 33-count Notice of Disciplinary Charges against Claire Jacqueline White, who operates the Dope Law Group in Suisun City southeast of Sacramento. White is accused of taking funds from eight clients but violating the state’s Rules of Professional Conduct by failing to provide agreed-to services.
“(The) respondent intentionally, recklessly, grossly negligently or repeatedly failed to perform legal services with diligence …” the State Bar’s filing states in regard to client Dorrell Bolton, who hired White in January of 2020.
The attorney failed to inform the Sacramento County Superior Court that Bolton would not be able to appear for a February 2020 court appearance due to his attendance at an out-of-town funeral. This led to Bolton being remanded into custody for nearly four months, according to the filing, which indicated that White also failed to file a motion seeking Bolton’s release from jail or a bail request.
White’s actions prolonged Bolton’s case while she did nothing of value to assist in his legal defense or prepare the case for trial, according to the OCTC.
Other counts against White include misrepresentations to a court that she had hired an investigator for Bolton, moral turpitude, failure to deposit client funds into a trust account, failure to return unearned fees, the use of client funds for personal expenses, failure to respond to client inquiries and failure to return unearned fees.
She was also alleged to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in 2020 as a result of her failure to comply with continuing legal education requirements, according to the State Bar’s filing.
White faces monetary sanctions of up to $5,000 per violation, with a maximum of $50,000 per disciplinary order in relation to the Business and Professions Code, the OCTC said.
Her attorney, Mark Reichel, of Sacramento, said he did not want to comment on the specifics of the State Bar’s allegations.
“Everyone knows that Claire White has been and is an exemplary attorney, a true fighter for her clients,” Reichel said in an email to the Southern California Record. “... We look forward to a fair process and an amicable resolution for everyone.”
White, who was admitted to the State Bar in 2016 and graduated from the University of California at Davis School of Law, has a “consumer alert” on her State Bar listing, indicating that she has been accused of a “major misappropriation of client funds.”
In response to an earlier Notice of Disciplinary Charges filed in January, White’s counsel said she never intentionally violated the Rules of Professional Conduct and took appropriate steps to safeguard client funds.
White has a following of about 62,000 people on her Instagram social media account, where she offers legal tips or advice, posts photos with clients and is described as a “lawyer, veteran, activist, loud mouth.”
The State Bar emphasized that White is presumed to be innocent of any misconduct until the charges have been proved in the State Bar Court.