Attorney on Elder Financial Abuse (USA)

By Samantha Yale/Staff Writer


After five days of deliberation, a Santa Maria jury left court Friday afternoon without reaching a verdict in the trial of an attorney accused of defrauding senior citizen clients.
Alan Courtney's trial began last month in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, and closing arguments were held Jan. 11.

The jury started deliberating the charges July 14.


Courtney, 53, has been charged by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office with four felony counts of filing false tax returns, four felony perjury counts, two felony embezzlement counts, two felony elder abuse counts and one felony forgery count.In addition, he is charged with special allegations in connection with the embezzlement counts that more than $100,000 was taken.

Prosecutors have alleged that Courtney stole about $113,000 from Rex Phillips of Solvang.

Courtney represented Phillips, in his late 70s, and his wife during a home sale, according to court records. The crimes are alleged to have taken place between March 24 and Sept. 28, 2004.Courtney's law practice was based in Santa Ynez at the time the crimes allegedly happened, but he has since moved his practice to Creston in northeastern San Luis Obispo County. The attorney for Courtney, Michael Scott, has argued that his client handled the Phillips' money the way the Phillipses asked him to.The defendant is also accused of embezzling about $205,000 from Frank Cox, in his late 70s, and Betty Moran, in her late 90s, on July 23, 2003.

Moran is Courtney's great-aunt and Cox is his cousin. Both live in the Simi Valley area.Scott has alleged that Cox's daughter, Ineta Kohler, looted her father's and Moran's bank accounts. He could not be reached for comment Friday.


Court is closed today in recognition of Martin Luther King Day, so the jury is expected to continue deliberating Tuesday. The prosecutor in the case, Senior Deputy District Attorney Jerry Lulejian, said Friday that he was not aware of any issues or questions that had been brought forth by the jury in open court during their deliberations.He did not express any opinion regarding the length of the jury's deliberation process.
Deliberations extend a week in Courtney case,

SOURCE: Lompoc Record.com