Attorney Disbarred, Used Client Funds for ‘Personal Needs’ (Corrected)

A New York attorney who used a client’s money for her personal expenses was disbarred.

“We have consistently disbarred attorneys who intentionally convert client or third-party funds,” said the Sept. 17 per curiam decision by the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division.

Melissa Bernier was hired in 2014 to represent a man from Martinique charged with burglary while in the U.S. on a tourist visa. He was arrested after he broke into a private home in upstate New York and went to sleep, according to the court.

Bernier ultimately negotiated a guilty plea to a reduced charge and was sentenced ...