LV attorney who stole $398,345 for gambling habit suspended

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009 | 12:55 p.m.

CARSON CITY – A Las Vegas attorney who admitted stealing $398,345 from his clients to support his gambling habit has been suspended for five years by the Nevada Supreme Court.

The court rejected the recommendation of the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board of the state Bar that Douglas C. Crawford be disbarred. Crawford argued that was excessive and he warranted only a five-year suspension.

“The purpose of attorney discipline is to protect the public, the courts, and the legal profession, not to punish the attorney,” said the court. It said that mitigating circumstances outweighed the aggravating circumstances in the case.

Crawford, in arguing for the five-year suspension, said the court should consider his good character and reputation, restitution, remorse and the mental disabilities of depression and gambling addiction.

The discipline committee said Crawford had prior discipline cases; he had multiple offenses and his selfish motive for his misconduct.

Crawford made a conditional guilty plea to 65 violations, mostly involving misappropriation of client money.

In handing out the lesser punishment, the Supreme Court set a number of conditions that must be met before Crawford can be admitted back to practice law.

He must pass the bar examination again. He must continue his gambling recovery efforts, including weekly meetings of gamblers anonymous and meeting with his psychiatrist.

During his suspension, he is not to practice law or handle any client funds or trust accounts. As a possible reinstatement to again practice law Crawford must willingly accept to work with a mentor and continue to refrain from handling any client funds.

He must make restitution to the clients who lost money. And he must pay back the money the so-called Client Security Fund of the state Bar paid to the victims.

Cy Ryan may be reached at (775) 687 5032 or cy@lasvegassun.com.

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

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By tvegas

Feb. 19, 2009

1:33 p.m.

Suggest removal

Foxes guarding the hen house.
By 2zero

Feb. 19, 2009

2:07 p.m.

Suggest removal

Crawford wore knee pads and had chapped lips.
By jldour

Feb. 19, 2009

4:22 p.m.

Suggest removal

The court said the purpose of attorney discipline is not to punish the attorney.....

Yeah, we have a solid system in place.
By neiman1

Feb. 19, 2009

5 p.m.

Suggest removal

He was just stimulating the economy. A bunch of thieves in Washington just took my money to gamble and called it stimulus and I can't do a thing about it.
By KillerB

Feb. 20, 2009

7:18 a.m.

Suggest removal

They took away his license to work. How is he supposed to pay anyone back for anything?

Only government thinks like this.
By ssenjo

Feb. 20, 2009

8:20 p.m.

Suggest removal

He'll be practicing again next week, but this time it'll be called consulting services instead of legal services.
By Babyboomer

Feb. 21, 2009

9:23 a.m.

Suggest removal

Give me a break !! pull his license should have been the first step before anything. Criminal charges 2nd then jail time 3rd.....next jerk step forward....
By Soldout1

Feb. 24, 2009

11:59 a.m.

Suggest removal

I retained Crawford in 1999, and was sold out as a "Sacraficial Lamb" to another Law Firm for another case. This man even submitted fabricated DNA tests in an effort to have me sign over my Children. Later Tests proved the Children were mine. I lost my Son but Thank God my Daughter came back into my life. This piece of garbage has been rouge for a long long time and I knew Karma would get him sooner or later and good. Let's hope he never practices Law again anywhere... It's a happy vindicated day in my life!