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San Bernardino Lawyer looses his job over bail bonds kickback scheme.

12:20 AM PST on Saturday, January 29, 2005

SAN BERNARDINO - A lawyer jailed for 120 days last year in connection with a bail-bond kickback scheme was fired Thursday, four days after being hired as a deputy public defender for San Bernardino County.

Court records show that Geoffrey William Newman, 34, of Rancho Cucamonga pleaded guilty on March 5 to three misdemeanor counts associated with a San Bernardino County investigation into illegal bail-bond practices.

"This is not a reflection on Mr. Newman as a lawyer," county spokesman David Wert said Friday. "The county is very sensitive to the public's perception of ethics in government."

Wert said the county's reputation is still recovering from an FBI corruption investigation that led to several current and former county officials spending time in jail on bribery convictions.

There is nothing in the county's code of ethics that prevents it from hiring a person convicted of the misdemeanor, Wert said, but Newman's convictions stemmed from his performance as a lawyer in private practice, and his hiring would reflect poorly on the county.

Newman said Friday that he had worked hard to compensate for his mistakes.

"I would go back today if they would let me," Newman said. "I felt proud to be in that office."

Newman said he severed ties worth about $60,000 in private practice so he could become a deputy public defender. He said he is unsure of his next step, but he will continue to practice law.

San Bernardino County Public Defender John Roth did not return messages about how Newman was hired.

Court records show that Newman pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors, including conspiracy to commit a crime.

Records also show that, in addition to serving four months in jail, Newman paid $75,000 in fines and agreed to testify truthfully in a San Bernardino County investigation.

That investigation revealed that bail bond agents would make "cold calls" on inmates. In return for referrals, agents would deposit money in inmate accounts, give money to the inmates' families or be a conduit for free long-distance telephone calls.

So far, 11 of 28 people charged in the investigation have accepted plea agreements stipulating that they testify truthfully. Newman is one of two lawyers who have accepted plea agreements.

Records show that lawyer Gina Kershaw, 40, pleaded guilty in April to three misdemeanors. She is in private practice, but she accepts cases from the public defender's office.

Lawyer Wayne Rozenberg, 39, is fighting the charges and is next scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 25, court records show.

 

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