Maires's Disbarment

Citations

• 189 Pa. 99
• 41 A. 988
• 1899 Pa. LEXIS 608

Syllabus

<p>Attorneys at law — Unprofessional conduct—Fraud—Champerty—Barratry—Deceiving client—Illegal agreement.</p> <p>In a proceeding to disbar an attorney, the evidence showed that the respondent employed boys, students and others in his office to visit people for the purpose of suggesting litigation and securing his employment ; that he kept printed forms in his office and induced suitors to sign them making himself a part owner of their claims, and reserving to them only a half interest, after deduction of all expenses; that when recoveries were had, he systematically and falsely reported the sums received by him as less than the amount actually received; that he further fraudulently reduced the amount coming to his clients by deducting therefrom under pretense of exorbitant payments to boys and students in his office sums often equalling the balance handed to his clients; and that he procured his clients’ signatures to papers in which blanks were loft which he fraudulently filled so as to cover up and conceal his misrepresentations as to the amounts received by him. Held, that the court committed no error in disbarring the respondent.</p>