San Diego

A former medical malpractice attorney was sentenced Tuesday to one year in County Jail for embezzling $63,000 from a client.

Several former clients attended the sentencing for Gordon von Kalinowski, 71, an Encinitas resident who was allowed to remain free until Thursday when he will begin his sentence.

Von Kalinowski pleaded guilty Oct. 2 to grand theft. He had resigned from the state bar after the investigation had begun into complaints from clients.

San Diego Municipal Judge Janet Kintner also ordered Von Kalinowski to repay the $63,000 to the couple he defrauded.

Disregarding his court-appointed attorney’s advice to remain silent at the sentencing, Von Kalinowski told the judge and packed courtroom that his clients are entitled to receive their money back.

“I always thought I could win any case I could try. I did not intend to defraud anybody by taking their case,” the former attorney said.

Von Kalinowski said his problems began in 1982 when his wife left him and he developed a drinking problem. He also said he had worked 14 hours a day daily and blamed some accounting problems on his “inefficient office staff.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Denise McGuire said she ordinarily would urge a prison term in such a case, but recommended one year in jail instead because “he is an old man” with health problems.

Kintner also placed Von Kalinowski on probation, but warned him by saying: “If you violate probation, I will be forced to send you to prison, and I will do it.”

Von Kalinowski was an attorney for 39 years and at one time was considered one of San Diego’s finest medical malpractice attorneys.