Disgraced legal legend Tom Girardi will face a jury in Los Angeles this spring on charges of stealing millions from clients, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton ordered the trial to begin May 21 despite objections from Girardi's defense attorneys, who said they needed a year to prepare.
“It doesn't appear to be an unusually complex trial,” Staton said, adding, “It's a lot simpler than a lot of the cases the court has.”
Although prosecutors have alleged a fraud scheme at the Girardi Keese law firm that dates back decades and involved more than $100 million, the case going to trial concerns only five clients and $15 million. Prosecutors said they could present the entire case to a jury in less than five days.
Girardi, 84, was not present at the hearing. Last week, the judge declared him competent to stand trial, rejecting his legal team's claim that he suffers from profound dementia.
In a writing, his attorneys at the Federal Public Defender's Office said they still believe he cannot understand the charges or assist in his defense. But in light of the court's ruling, they said, they are “trying to treat Mr. Girardi as if he were competent.”
Prosecutors have said Girardi's memory loss is mild, though it is gradually worsening, and in court Wednesday cited his prognosis to argue for an early trial date. Assistant US Attorney Ali Moghaddas told the judge that the delays could lead to a new round of competition proceedings, further delaying the trial.
“The last thing the government wants is to postpone this,” Moghaddas said, noting that the alleged victims were entitled to a resolution.
Girardi will be tried alongside his law firm's former CFO, Chris Kamon, who has been accused of carrying out a $10 million “secondary fraud” that involved embezzling law firm money to finance a lavish lifestyle. .
Kamon's attorney, Michael Severo, told the judge Wednesday that his client had no objection to a May 21 trial. Kamon has been in federal custody since his arrest in November 2022.
Girardi, Kamon and Girardi's son-in-law, David Lira, face a second indictment in Chicago on fraud charges related to $3 million that prosecutors say was embezzled from a settlement with Indonesian widows and orphans.
