Thomas Girardi, a former high-profile attorney, has been embroiled in a scandal of legal nature. Federal Judge, Josephine L. Staton, in a recent ruling stated that Girardi exaggerated his mental decline. The ruling, which was made public last Friday, found Girardi to be mentally fit to stand trial in his ongoing fraud case.
Despite acknowledging the presence of mild to moderate cognitive impairment in Girardi, Judge Staton expressed her belief in the arguments put forth by the US government. They proposed that Girardi was overstating his mental condition.
Judge Staton dismissed the federal public defender’s arguments, which stated that Girardi’s judgement and his ability to make rational decisions was severely impaired. In her writings, she outlined her belief that Girardi had a plausible reason to mimic a declining mental state and questioned why no one stepped forward to question this before his conservatorship action was filed.
In addition to the California criminal case, Girardi’s Illinois fraud trial has also been paused, pending a ruling from the Los Angeles Federal Court.