Legal News

SLO County to cough up defense cash for jailed Paso Robles firm family

By Richard Binder

Thanks to a judge's ruling, a jailed mother and son who were also the president and vice-president of a bankrupt money lending company will be unable to pay for their defense, leaving San Luis Obispo with the bill.

Superior Court Judge Jac Crawford ruled yesterday that the court will continue to hold the assets of Estate Financial Inc. president Karen Guth and her son and company vice president, Joshua Yaguda, in order to pay for the possible restitution of their alleged victims.

Representatives from the public defenders? office who testified at the hearing have declined to represent Guth and Yaguda, citing conflicts of interest and lack of expertise in the complex real estate and financial matters required by the case.

Guth and Yaguda?s private attorneys, Southern California-based Steve Smith and Dyke Huish, said they are owed $350,000 for representing Guth and Yaguda since late October.  They have agreed to being paid by the county through at least the preliminary hearing on August 24th.

Full story here.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on July 30, 2009 (boomark / email).