Attorneys sometimes find themselves with fortunes in the trust accounts from clients that have died without apparent heirs or from clients that seem to have vanished in thin air.
San Antonio Lawyer Invokes the 5th in Bankruptcy Proceeding
By Patrick Danner
December 6, 2016
San Antonio attorney Todd Prins is accused of fabricating court documents and forging judges’ signatures in a case involving former clients. He appeared Tuesday at a creditors meeting in his own personal bankruptcy case in the Hipolito Garcia Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Embattled San Antonio attorney Todd Prins, accused of fabricating court documents and forging judges’ signatures, invoked his right not to incriminate himself more than 25 times at a bankruptcy proceeding Tuesday. Among the questions Prins wouldn’t answer during a creditors meeting was whether he has complied with a Bexar County Probate Court judge’s order to turn over to the court $360,902 that has been held in his law firm’s trust account for a deceased client’s estate. Prins cited the Fifth and 14th amendments and a section of the Texas Constitution in declining to answer that and other questions. The 14th Amendment grants “equal protection of the laws” to all U.S. citizens.
The issue is expected to come up again Wednesday when Prins is scheduled to appear before Probate Judge Kelly Cross for a hearing to determine whether he should be held in contempt for disobeying her Sept. 28 order to turn over the money. It’s just the latest legal trouble for Prins, who has been sued by two former clients accusing him of fabricating court documents and forging judges and others’ signatures in a 2009 Bexar County District Court case to conceal from his clients the actual status of the case.
Prins and his wife filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in September and he has been accused of fabricating court document and forging judges’ signatures in a case involving former clients.
Source: San Antonio lawyer pleads the 5th in bankruptcy proceeding – San Antonio Express-News
Bankruptcy cases are complex and involve a great deal of scrutiny. When a debtor files for bankruptcy, they must provide detailed financial information, including income, expenses, and assets. The bankruptcy trustee, an independent party appointed by the court, is responsible for reviewing this information and ensuring that all creditors are treated fairly. If a debtor or their attorney is found to be concealing or misrepresenting information, they may face severe legal consequences.
In this case, Henry has refused to answer questions from the bankruptcy trustee and has invoked his right to remain silent under the 5th Amendment. This has raised concerns about whether he is attempting to conceal information or protect himself from legal liability. While the 5th Amendment guarantees the right against self-incrimination, it is also understood that invoking this right may be seen by the casual observer as an admission of guilt or wrongdoing.
Furthermore, Henry’s behavior raises questions about his ethical obligations as a lawyer. The American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct require lawyers to provide truthful and complete information to tribunals and to refrain from conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. By refusing to answer questions and invoking the 5th Amendment, Henry may be violating these rules and undermining the integrity of the legal system.
It is important to note that Henry has not been charged with any wrongdoing, and his decision to plead the 5th may be a strategic legal move. However, it is also important to consider the broader implications of his actions and the potential impact on public trust in the legal profession. As lawyers, we have a duty to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism, and any behavior that undermines these standards should be scrutinized and addressed.
(800) 717-1383
Dean W. Feldman
Managing Attorney
From our clients
“Dean Feldman was a great help during the process of our bankruptcy. He was very professional, understanding and he guided us every step of the way. He answered our questions quickly and well explained.”
“Mr. Feldman is Extraordinary. THANK YOU Mr. Feldman from the bottom of our hearts.”
“A friend of mine referred me to Mr Feldman at a very scary and confusing point in my life Their knowledge and legal expertise were very impressive and comforting. More importantly I was treated by everyone as a lifelong friend which I will always be grateful for. I give everyone at the firm a solid 10 stars.”
“This was a difficult time for me, and to go through this process, I was incredibly nervous and stressed. Dean & his team were beyond professional & helpful. Thanks to their intensive efforts, I was able to pass through this experience feeling like I was completely taken care of, with little or no hassle. When having to make this decision, there’s no question – it’s scary, and overwhelming. Yet, they took care of everything in such an efficient way, it made the task seem much less daunting. While I regret having to gain their services, once I did, it truly helped me gather the strength to go through with it. As such, the decision really benefited me, and I feel very grateful to this company for seeing me through, and at an affordable rate, as well.”
“I recently had the good fortune to contact and engage with attorney Dean Feldman regarding a personal legal situation. I know Mr. Feldman has a demanding schedule in his law practice, but he made himself available when I needed him. He took ample time to help me with complicated legal problems. The problems were solved in my favor thanks to his counsel. I am grateful to have found him and it is without reservation that I positively recommend his law office to anyone who needs prompt, efficient, and emphatic legal work.”
“Dean has helped me in a couple situations, where people tried to take my money, like a landlord not wanting to give me my $600 security deposit back (left place super clean, too). He really is sincere and cares very much helping his clients. The proof is in the very low price he charges. Most of the other lawyers just want to take your money and could care less. Dean is the best!”
“One of the most intelligent and professional attorney’s I have worked with. (I’ve had to use a few different attorney’s for a couple different reasons) Mr.Feldman is a very honest and hard working man. He gets the job done right, the first time. He’s very experienced and puts his all into everything. Enjoyed my time with him and was beyond satisfied with his work. Thank you Mr. Feldman!!”
“When my father needed help to file bankruptcy, I looked everywhere for a place that will help him he was on a fixed income and most places need all money up front. No worries bankruptcy helped him by setting up a payment plan there was always someone to help him when we didn’t under stand paper work. It’s a great company that understands not everyone can afford high priced bankruptcy lawyers. Thanks again Mr. Feldman.”
“Dean has been an exceptional attorney for both my wife and I. From the very first call, Noworriesbankrupcty and Dean were on it! Communication is A+++ and they responded to all of my emails within 12-18 hours, phone calls sooner. There was no question that Dean fights for his clients and succeeds! His prices are reasonable and they do payment plans, no interest, just pay what you can- they just won’t do the official filing until the balance is zero. Unfortunate circumstances occur, life happens, but with Dean, the BK process is as painless as is can be.”
“Mr. Dean is very professional, knowledgeable and very helpful. Thanks to his advice, I achieved the results I was looking for.”
“Professional and honest about what we could do and couldn’t do by law. It worked out well for us because he took the fear about bankruptcy out of the equation.”
“Could not obtain a more pleasant, yet professional Company to represent me in my bankruptcy. Mr. Dean Feldman and staff were extremely helpful and guided me every step of the way during my process. I would highly recommend him as he was as honest as they come.”
“This was a difficult time for me, and to go through this process, I was incredibly nervous and stressed. Dean & his team were beyond professional & helpful. Thanks to their intensive efforts, I was able to pass through this experience feeling like I was completely taken care of, with little or no hassle. When having to make this decision, there’s no question – it’s scary, and overwhelming. Yet, they took care of everything in such an efficient way, it made the task seem much less daunting. While I regret having to gain their services, once I did, it truly helped me gather the strength to go through with it. As such, the decision really benefited me, and I feel very grateful to this company for seeing me through, and at an affordable rate, as well.”
“Dean was our attorney. He reviewed our case and helped us realize that bankruptcy was not our best option. As disappointing as that news was, it was more than greatly appreciated. They could have easily taken our money without having our best interests in mind but no. Dean went above and beyond offering all the advice I could ask for. For that I am extremely grateful. This is a law firm that is honest and trustworthy. If you do decide to file for bankruptcy I hope this review helps.”
“Attorney Feldman and his staff earned my 5 stars by listening carefully to my problems, quickly assessing them, and carrying out effective actions within a very short time. NoWorriesBankruptcy provided professional, understandable help with kindness and empathy.”
“An effective process and the best value in California for bankruptcy services.”
“Had the absolute BEST experience working with Mr. Feldman and his staff. Very much appreciated! Extremely professional and courteous service, plus GREAT communication. They made sure that I understood everything and that made the entire process a lot less stressful for me. Cannot emphasize enough how fortunate I was to find this company to assist me with my important financial decision. KUDOS!”
“Amazing experience, in a difficulty time during our lives! Would recommend them to everyone who needs to file bankruptcy!”
“Very Helpful and Professional! Kind and Understanding! I highly recommend Dean and his law firm to Everyone who is looking for help. Definitely the best!”
“This company is great, Dean really took care of me service was very prompt there was constant communication between him and I, every question I had there was always an clear answer that I understood none of that fancy jargon. Money was well spent to get me out of the vicious credit debit cycle, I highly recommend these guys 100%”
“Prompt, good communication and fair price. Completely satisfied with service. Dean never made me feel badly with a difficult situation. Thanks!”
“Dean and everyone else in the office are very kind and compassionate people. He is the first lawyer that really seemed to care and helped me tremendously. Their fees are very affordable, too, unlike those sharks that charge over twice as much. Thank you Dean and may God bless you always!”
“I had to deal with so many lawyers over the last 15 years. I had the honor to work with Mr. Feldman. He was exceptionally professional with very high moral standards. He was very generous with his time unlike any other lawyer. He is one in a million and I definitely recommend him… If there was an option to choose 10 starts, I would do it without any hesitation. Our justice system has many flaws and finding a great lawyer is the key to survive this system.”
“After my husband of 32 years passed away, I financially became unable to afford my bills. I realized I needed help, so I made a hard decision to get information on filing bankruptcy. I called multiple bankruptcy attorneys that never bothered to return my call. Dean Feldman was the only attorney that answered my phone call. I was very stressed and nervous to make this phone call. Mr Feldman was kind and very professional and took the time to answer all of my questions. His guidance through the whole process helped to put me at ease with my decision to file for bankruptcy. If I had any questions he would always returned my call or email the very same day. I “HIGHLY RECOMMEND” using Dean Feldman to handle your bankruptcy needs. Thank you Dean for your help in guiding me through the whole bankruptcy process. I very much appreciate everything you helped me with.”
We were extremely satisfied with the services we received from Dean. We are in a very complicated financial situation that we would’ve have to spend lots of money to an attorney to fix. Dean gave us honest reasonable counsel about our situation. He answers his phone every time we have called him. We talked to two other bankruptcy agents before Dean and they were both dishonest and just wanted our money not to help us. But Dean was thorough and put us at ease he didn’t hesitate to let us know what our options are without mentioning payments for himself. If you’re looking for a honest thorough bankruptcy firm Dean at no worries bankruptcy is your bet. We didn’t worry at all talking with Dean. He made us feel safe.
“Have zero regrets using this firm. Dean and his associates were very professional and up front with what to expect…his expected timeline for my case turned out to be longer than it did in realty… which is very appreciated considering it was through the holidays.”
