Bay Region Drivers Say Traffic Price Ticket Legal Professional Took Money, Skipped Court

Updated August 20, 2021Lawyer no-show in court for paid clients

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - After receiving two site visitors tickets inBay Area counties, Khaled Elsakkor hired help. He paid San Francisco based law corporation flat fees for illustration in court. But the lawyer never showed up. And Elsakkor is just one among many drivers now dealing with even larger fines and trouble.

"I became basically scammed," Elsakkor stated. "He took the cash and just kept the cash. It’s simply simple out scandalous."

Attorney Robert Amparan has disappeared from the courtroom in recent months. He’s the owner of California Traffic Defenders, which takes on cases of visitors-related offenses and advertises itself as "skilled and trustworthy" online and has workplaces in San Francisco and South San Francisco.

Defense attorney Robert Amparan speaks at a news convention in 2011 previous to his possession of California Traffic Defenders. KTVU has been unable to locate him in current weeks.

Elsakkor admits he acquiredtraffic tickets for failing to come to a complete forestall at prevent signs in San Francisco and San Mateo counties. He stated he went to California Traffic Defenders and changed into charged $450 in hopes of having the tickets disregarded.

Two months later, Elsakkor acquiredcivil assessments close to $900 for failing to appear in courtroom. Before that, he stated he had no concept the lawyer he employed in no way showed up in court on his behalf.

"It’s beyond perception," Elsakkor stated. "Those are the people you go to for believe."

Khaled Elsakkor said he receivedcivil tests close to $900 due to the fact the lawyer he employed didn't seem in courtroom.

Despite calls, emails or even visits to Amparan’s offices, Elsakkor stated he has not heard from him or seen him for the reason that.

And he’s not the handiest one with the identical story.

"I called at least a hundred instances," driving force Tory Schwenk of Milpitas said. "I turned into completely reeling because my driver’s license is pretty imperative to me."

Schwenk went to California Traffic Defenders for assist with three unique visitors tickets he got in Newark for failing to fully stop at a red light in which there has been a digicam.

Again, Amparan did not display up for his court dates and Schwenk is dealing with extra fines. He too has been unable to attain Amparan and is out near $1,000.

"It became glaringly an exceptionally negligent act of an lawyer not to show as much as court docket," Schwenk said.

He and numerous different victims tell KTVU they’ve filed proceedings with The State Bar of California in hopes Amparan may be held responsible.

Despite KTVU’s repeated calls, emails and visits to Amparan’s home and offices, he has by no means spoke back to requests for remark.

Investigative Reporter Brooks Jarosz spent weeks trying to tune down lawyer Robert Amparan, consisting of at his domestic, but he was never located or heard from.

A word on his South San Francisco office shows he owes greater than $12,000 in hire and the owner confirms he's taking felony action towards Amparan.

Amparan’s San Francisco office, which sarcastically is throughout the road from the Hall of Justice, regarded deserted.

Still, his California legal professional’s license continues to be energetic without a contemporary subject against him.

Attorney Robert Amparan presently has an lively attorney's license with The State Bar of California.

"He’s abandoned his customers," veteran attorney and retired UC Hastings felony ethics professor Richard Zitrin said. "There’s not anything worse."

Zitrin said The State Bar of California must step in and look at, but it has a history of failing to do it speedy – if in any respect.

"The Office of Trial Counsel that is in charge of prosecuting lawyers does a totally bad task of being able to do it effectively and certainly going after the huge, horrific men – the those who are hurting little humans," he stated.

State audits, along with a recent one from April, display The State Bar does not efficaciously investigate and area delinquent legal professionals.

The State Bar would simplest say in a announcement that it’s "committed to identifying and remedying any shortcomings inside the field system" and is working "actively and diligently to enhance the field gadget’s effectiveness and fairness…"

Most of the humans KTVU identified as victims stated they filed lawsuits with The State Bar, however, those complaints are not public. The State Bar could not comment on whether or not or now not an research has been opened on Amparan.

Zitrin stated it’s extra efficient to sue a legal professional in small claims courtroom for money in preference to hoping the state will disbar or area an attorney.

"The State Bar doesn’t have an excellent manner of finding out the large, important, do them right away matters with those which can wait until afterward for adjudication." Zitrin said.

Since this tale was first published, different drivers declare they had been victimized by Amparan and his enterprise.

Adam Cohen, site visitors attorney and owner of Ticket Crushers stated he has taken a number of Amparan's former customers getting the cases resolved or back earlier than a choose.

"Don't wait until it is too overdue," he stated. "If you are in this situation, Call an lawyer and get it constant right now."

Cohen said site visitors courts across California have a tendency to be extra strict and less probable to help defendants if troubles are not addressed fast.More drivers come ahead with claims they had been scammed through visitors lawyer

KTVU investigative reporter Brooks Jarosz with a comply with-up on an investigation right into a traffic legal professional accused of scamming clients.

He offered those recommendations to assist people who locate themselves on this catch 22 situation.Immediately name the visitors court explaining what occurredDocument the call or any interactions with courtroom personnelCollect any proof consisting of emails, credit card receipts, voicemails, or retainer agreementsContact a traffic legal professional

"Get it handled it court," Cohen said. "Don't try and do it yourself."

Brooks Jarosz is an investigative reporter for KTVU. Email him at brooks.jarosz@fox.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @BrooksKTVU