| ► Attorney Alto Watson III of Beaumont, TX; serial thief |
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Attorney Alto Watson III of Beaumont, TX; serial thief 
The state of Texas presented Alto Watson III with a law license in 1987 after he graduated from St. Mary’s University Law School.
The Commission for Lawyer Discipline charged Alto with the following misconduct.
From 1998 though July 2012, Alto was employed by the Law Firm of Gilbert T. Adams. During those four teen (14) years, Alto wrongfully billed clients separately for his services. Alto also personally retained client funds that he knew were meant to be paid to the Adams law firm. He then deposited the firm’s money into his own personal accounts for his own personal use and benefit.
In one matter, the firm was hired to represent Mohd Ali in a lawsuit for damages. Ali agreed to pay the Adams firm $10,000, $5,000 of which Alto asked the client to pay directly to him. Alto then deposited the $5,000 into his personal account and did not inform the firm.
Alto also requested that the trial court amend its prior order to include him as a payee from the court‘s registry in the Ali lawsuit. In March 2012, unknown to Ali and the Adams firm, Alto took $11,348 from the court’s registry and deposited the money into his personal account.
In another matter, Tina Whitacre hired the Adams firm to represent her in a medical negligence case. Without the firm’s knowledge, Alto asked that Tina pay $2,500 directly to him, which she did and which he then deposited into his own personal account.
Because Attorney Misfits in Texas are held to a much lower standard of conduct then everyone else, there is no indication that Alto has been criminally charged for grand theft or obstruction of justice.
In a separate case, on Jan. 27, 2012, Tina Whitacre hired the firm for representation in a potential medical negligence case. Without the firm’s knowledge, Watson requested she pay $2,500 directly to him, which she did, the petition states.
As a consequence of his misconduct, the Commission recommended to the Texas Supreme Court that Alto’s law license be revoked.
All that’s left now is to see what if any punishment the enablers for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Texas Supreme Court mete out to Alto.
As we speak (ca. June 2013) Alto practices in the Beaumont, Texas area.
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