| ► Attorney David Ritzinger of Vacaville, CA; serial thief |
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Attorney David Ritzinger of Vacaville, CA; serial thief
The state of California provided David Paul Ritzinger with a law license in 1978 after he graduated from San Diego State University Law School.
The California Bar Court found David guilty of the following misconduct involving at least eight (8) clients (victims).
David operated several law offices in the San Francisco Bay area wherein he marketed his services to people of limited means. Clients frequently came to Dave’s office and signed what they were told were flat fee contracts. Bills were not provided to clients for significant periods of time and then the client was told that a bill had skyrocketed.
When a client was unable to pay the inflated charges, Dave’s firm filed motions in court alleging that the client had provided a check for payment of fees that was dishonored (rubber). Dave testified he didn’t use a standard form to file said false motions; however, the Bar Court investigator found that several were identical forms filed on the same day.
One client who was suffering financial problems, hired Dave to handle a family law matter. She was told there would be a flat fee of $1,290 to handle the matter. Several months later, she received a bill for an additional $4,242. When Dave threatened to withdraw from the case, the client was basically coerced into signing a judgment on Dave’s behalf for $5,836 in fees even though he agreed to a flat fee of $1,290.
As a consequence of his misconduct, the Patron Saints for Attorney Misfits sitting on the California Bar Court punished David by gifting him with a complimentary 2-year suspension of his law license.
As we speak (ca. October 2012) David practices at 2601 Nut Tree Road in Vacaville, California.
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