High Court Suspends St. Louis Municipal Judge’s Law License

A St. Louis County municipal judge had her license suspended for at least two years for mismanaging an ad that held funds for several clients.
The Missouri Supreme Court suspended Jennifer Fisher’s license on Tuesday. The case against Fisher was opened after the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Board received an overdraft notice on Fisher’s client’s trust account, according to a summary of the case released by the state’s High Court.
An audit found that the trust account balance frequently fell below the amount needed to pay the settlement proceeds to customers and the funds were withdrawn from the account before being earned by Fisher.
A disciplinary committee had recommended one year of probation for Fisher, but the disciplinary council office rejected the plan, saying lawyers cannot claim probation when the violation includes embezzlement.
Fisher’s attorney, Bernard Edwards, had argued that Fisher faced many personal challenges, including caring for two family members with physical and mental challenges. Fisher also suffered from a health condition that caused him to experience sleep deprivation, headaches and pain, Edwards said.
A message left with the Missouri Municipal and Associate Circuit Judges Association on Wednesday about whether the suspension will affect Fisher’s ability to serve as a municipal judge was not immediately fired.