Legalectric

This is David Williams.  He is NOT an attorney.  Pay attention — do not be taken in, as so many have.  But if you have, know you’re in good company, just ask Redd Foxx, Mickey Rooney, Lou Gossett, Nancy Wilson, et al.  Redd Foxx said, “I think the man needs help.”  Given the level of denial I’ve seen, yes, I think the man needs help.  Straighten up and fly right?  It’s long over due.

Those who may have hired him to do legal work should have it reviewed by an attorney licensed in Minnesota to assure that it’s up to snuff. Many people he’s been associated with have put a lot of time and intense effort into issues of concern, and they should have the peace of mind that their work and hard won gains are secure and not at risk because of his misrepresentations of his status as an attorney.

David Welford Williams, of Lanesboro, Minnesota, entered an Alford plea and was convicted of Unauthorized Practice of Law on December 17, 2013. There were three separate cases at issue, one originating with his contacts to the Lake of the Woods County District Court, another regarding National Trout Center, and another with a firm in the metro where he was representing himself as an attorney.  That’s just three weeks ago, after being investigated beginning around June 2010, on the charge he was convicted of the instance investigated began in May, 2011, and being interviewed in the investigation in July 2011 according to the article.  It took more than two years… What disturbs me the most about this is that after he knew he was under investigation, after he was charged, after he knew he was under scrutiny, he was still representing himself as a “retired lawyer,” sending emails as “lawyer” and hiring out for legal work.  He knew he was under investigation at the time that we talked about his not being licensed in Minnesota.

Fillmore County District Court File 23-CR-13-347

Reports in the press:

Man ordered to stop portraying himself as attorney – Post Bulletin

Lanesboro man accused of acting as attorney – Post Bulletin

Fillmore County Journal-8-30-2013 (formatting issues)

Williams is a familiar face in Minnesota, particularly regarding silica sand mining, particularly for working on the Fillmore County silica sand mining ordinance.  This summer, when people I know, particularly two former clients, were working with him, I was curious what sort of law he practiced, googled, as I do with all attorneys I’m dealing with, and found nothing.  NADA.  So I went to the MARS site, attorney registration, and nothing.  No David Williams there.  EH?  So I did some more googling, and ended up in California, at the State Bar’s site, where it said he was first “suspended,” and then “resigned, charges pending.”  Oh my…

Next, I emailed him and asked what’s up with that.  He called, we played phone tag, and when we finally connected, he denied he was practicing law without a license, that he’s just a lil’ ol’ retired lawyer, nope, not practicing law, no way, no how…  D-E-N-I-A-L.  I would have felt differently, not at all on alert, but for the info on the California site, and he admitted that he was the same David Welford Williams, Jr., that had been licensed in California.  So I did some more googling, up came info about a couple of workshops, and just recently, an application to the MPCA surfaced:

David Williams “retired lawyer” – 11/18/2013 Application for Silica Sand Rulemaking Committee

David Williams “attorney” – Experts teach townships about zoning to control sand – Republican Eagle

David Williams “attorney” – “Ain’t No Local Control. . . Without Controls”..

What I didn’t know, until today, was that two years and two months prior to our conversation, TWO YEARS AND TWO MONTHS, on May 10, 2011, he was charged in Fillmore County with Unauthorized Practice Law, and the matter was pending as we spoke, pending as he denied.  Really… I had no idea.  My bullshit detector went off, but I sure didn’t know charges were pending.  Wow… suffice it to say, I’m blown away.

Here are the specifics in the California file:

Supreme Court of California Order 9-23-1981_Suspension_Violation of Penal Code 470 (forgery)

Oh, great…

But wait, that’s not all, it gets worse:

Supreme Court of California Order 4-20-1983_Resignation with Disciplinary Proceedings Pending

And then there another matter, related to a civil case where he entered into a stipulation that he would pay to the tune of $113,055, which he didn’t pay, and which was paid by the state Client Security Fund:

Supreme Court of California Order 7-7-1983_4 Claims at Client Security Fund

Here’s a more colorful episode, check the quotes from Redd Foxx and the bit about the $9,769.60 “final payment on the 3.52 carat diamond ring” and charges he apparently ducked on that:

A blurb about his arrest:

And sentencing on the forgeries, including five years probation, restitution, and community service:

And here’s the real poop from a very pissed off Redd Foxx (click for larger version):

From Carmen McRae: