Trial begins for Palm Desert attorney accused of misappropriating client’s money

A hearing is scheduled to start today in Los Angeles for a Palm Desert family law attorney accused of misappropriating more than $32,000 of a client’s money and telling an investigator that the victim’s trust account had been hacked.
Jennifer Jo Beerman is facing disciplinary charges brought by the State Bar of California, which accuses her of failure to maintain client funds in a trust account, misappropriation, misrepresentation and failure to pay client funds properly.
The disciplinary hearing for Beerman, a former Riverside County deputy district attorney who has her own law practice in Palm Desert, is expected to last three days at the State Bar court in downtown Los Angeles.
State Bar spokeswoman Laura Ernde told City News Service that prosecutors are seeking disbarment, but it is up to the judge. After the hearing, the judge has 90 days to issue a written ruling on Beerman’s culpability and recommend discipline, if any. The discipline would not go into effect until approved by the state Supreme Court, Ernde said.
The State Bar posted a “consumer alert” on Beerman’s profile on its website, saying that it had filed charges against her in April. The public can use the State Bar’s website to get information on attorneys.
The State Bar alleges that between April and October 2011, Beerman did not maintain the balance of funds received and deposited for a client she represented in a divorce case.
Beermann allegedly misappropriated more than $32,000 of the client’s money in the same time period, and told the client and a State Bar investigator that the client’s trust account had been hacked when a check was returned because of “insufficient funds” in the account.
“This statement was false. At the time (Beerman) made this statement to (the investigator), (Beerman) knew that her client trust account had not been `hacked’ …,” the State Bar’s charging document alleges.
Beerman wrote in her response to the charges that between April and October 2011, she “experienced serious medical problems” and due to the severity of her medical issues, her “conduct was not willful nor intentional.”
“Further, without knowledge and authorization, an individual mishandled (the client) trust account,” Beerman wrote.
Beerman did not immediately reply to a request for additional comment. No criminal charges have been filed against her in Riverside County.
Beerman attended California Western School of Law in San Diego and was admitted to the State Bar in May 2000. While she was with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, she was named Misdemeanor Trial Deputy of the Year in 2004.
In her current practice, she handles criminal defense and several areas of family law, including divorce, adoption and child support and custody, according to her website.