LOS ANGELES — The State Bar Court of California recently suspended Daniel Sanford Weiss, a Sacramento attorney, for mishandling his client trust account and another client’s bankruptcy filing.
According to the March 12 decision, Weiss held a client trust account at Wells Fargo Bank that he used to draft a check for $3,800 on Sept. 3, 2014. When he wrote the check, he allegedly did not have the funds necessary to complete the withdrawal in the account.
The California State Bar sent several inquiries to the attorney about the issue, but Weiss failed to respond. He was charged for failing to cooperate with the state bar’s investigation and for mishandling the client trust, which state bar deemed to be “grossly negligent” and a show of moral turpitude.
The second matter stems from October 2012 when Weiss was hired to represent a couple in their bankruptcy filing. Weiss allegedly did not file the proper documents in the time frame given and asked for an extension from the courts.
Though the extension was granted, Weiss did not file the documents on time and neither informed his clients that they needed to attend a hearing scheduled on Jan. 17, 2013, nor did he attend. He continued to fail to file motions or communicate with his clients. The clients eventually ended their relationship with Weiss and requested their papers returned. He did not respond to the state bar's inquiries, which resulted in another disciplinary charge.
Weiss' 30-day suspension ended April 11 but he continues to serve a one-year probation. He is a graduate of the Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1980 and has no prior record of discipline.