Lawyer Freed From Jail

San Diego lawyer Richard Degallegos, jailed Thursday on a contempt-of-court charge, was released after the 4th District Court of Appeal granted his petition for a writ of habeas corpus.

A County Jail spokesman said Degallegos, who is under investigation for misconduct by the State Bar and the San Diego County district attorney’s office, was released just before midnight Thursday--hours after a Municipal Court judge sentenced him to five days in custody.

Judge Lillian Lim Quon found Degallegos guilty of misbehavior, willful neglect and violation of duty after his former client complained he had agreed to handle her appeal and then did nothing. The judge fined Degallegos and cited him for contempt for failing to obey a court order requiring that he release documents to the attorney now handling the appeal.

Degallegos maintains that he could not comply with the order because his client had already retrieved the files. His attorney, June Boothby, repeated that argument in appealing the matter to the court of appeal. The panel of justices, considering the writ during an unusual after-hours session Thursday, apparently was persuaded.

The State Bar is investigating 11 complaints against Degallegos for offenses including misuse of funds, failure to make court appearances and failure to complete work for which he was hired. Investigators with the district attorney’s office are conducting a similar inquiry into allegations that Degallegos misappropriated funds, a criminal violation.

In an unprecedented move, the San Diego County Bar Assn. has established a hot line to assist the attorney’s clients and former clients, many of whom have complained about his conduct or expressed fears about their cases. The number is 231-0784. More than 115 calls had been received in the past week.