Family Wants $5 Million Back from Lawyers, Saying They Won Case by Bribing a Judge

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Tuesday, June 14, 2011Last Update: 11:28 AM PT

Family Wants $5 Million Back from Lawyers, Saying They Won Case by Bribing

a Judge

By CAMERON LANGFORD

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AUSTIN (CN) - The family of an EMT who died when his medical services

helicopter crashed say their attorneys should forfeit their $5.2 million in

legal fees because they won the case by bribing a state judge. One attorney, who

is a former state representative, and the judge have both pleaded guilty to

corruption charges.

and his co-worker died onboard a chopper that

crashed in the Laguna Madre near South Padre Island on Feb. 5, 2008.

The and families hired attorneys Marc Rosenthal and

Solis to represent them, and the lawyers sued Metro Aviation and South Texas

Emergency Foundation in Cameron County Court.

The case was assigned to 404th Cameron County District Court, where Abel

Limas was presiding judge at the time, according to the complaint.

Limas and Solis have both pleaded guilty to corruption charges. Solis is a

former state representative.

" As a part of their representation of the and families,

Rosenthal and Solis used a scheme for bribing Judge Limas, " the family

says in their complaint in County Court.

" They wanted favorable rulings from Judge Limas. They got them. The bribes

even included future employment for Limas at Rosenthal's law firm, " the

complaint states.

" After losing his re-election bid, Limas exercised employment options

while still on the bench. ... Limas was offered an 'of counsel' position with

'the firm,' as well as cash payments cryptically referred to as 'golf balls.'

The consideration was Limas' past and continued favorable rulings.

" Ultimately, Judge Limas was also paid additional sums of money after

settlement was obtained. ... These additional sums were a continuation of the

bribery from Solis and Rosenthal and came out of the and

families' recovery, " the complaint states.

(The ellipses mark references to exhibits called the " Solis Plea Packet

Memo " and the " Limas Plea Packet Memo. " )

The families' claims were settled on Oct. 17, 2009 and their attorneys

pocketed $5.2 million in legal fees and $408,000 in expenses, according to the

complaint.

Federal authorities had begun investigating Limas' corruption even before

the helicopter crash case was filed, and obtained recordings of lawyers,

including Solis, engaging in the bribes, according to the complaint.

Solis confessed to bribing Limas and implicated Rosenthal in his plea

deal, according to the complaint.

's widow and children claim that the attorneys' bribes jeopardized

their case, and " dishonored the memories of and . "

" Defendants' used the plaintiffs' claims and story as a vehicle to turn

honest labor into a crooked scheme for a substantial fee to them, " the family

says. " Like the recent Wall Street financial crisis, defendants' conduct fosters

a far reaching and severe distrust of those in the legal profession. Defendants'

criminal acts are just another brick in the already glaring wall that greedy and

dishonest lawyers are building between the judicial system and the public it is

meant to serve and protect. "

In addition to forfeiture of Rosenthal's and Solis' legal fees from the

case, the family seeks punitive damages from the attorneys and their law

firms, Rosenthal & PC, and Solis & Robles LLC, alleging breach of

fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, fraud,

deceptive trade practices, conspiracy, negligence and gross negligence with

malice.

They seek damages from Limas for unjust enrichment, conversion, and aiding

and abetting of fiduciary duty.

The family is represented by Houston attorney Larry Doherty.

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