COUNTYWIDE : Lawyer Disbarred; 3 Others Are Punished

One Orange County lawyer has been disbarred, and three others have received less severe punishments for wrongdoing, the State Bar of California reported.

John Earl Frazer, 43, who practiced in Newport Beach, was disbarred April 20 for failing to report to his probation officer, a condition that had been imposed during an earlier suspension, Bar spokeswoman Susan Scott said.

Frazer was suspended in February, 1989, for failing to pass a professional responsibility examination, Scott said.

He had been placed on probation in August, 1987, for repeated misconduct, including failing to return unearned fees, handling cases without reasonable diligence and withdrawing from cases without taking steps to protect his clients, Scott said.

Kenneth M. W. Bradley, 66, of Anaheim Hills was suspended indefinitely and placed on inactive enrollment in February for failing to report to his probation officer or pass a professional responsibility exam, Scott said.

The reports and exam were a condition of probation imposed in February, 1989, after the Bar found that his failure to return a client’s calls resulted in a $6,023 judgment against the client. The Bar found that Bradley also kept money intended to pay a client’s medical bills, Scott said.

Manuel Aranda Jr., 54, of Anaheim was placed on three years’ suspension on April 20 for failing to perform legal services for two clients but keeping the unearned legal fees, Scott said.

Aranda also failed to answer the Bar’s letters of inquiries on those matters, she said.

Wolf Harry Stern, 66, of Newport Beach was placed on three years’ probation April 20 for misappropriating a portion of a client’s trust account for his own use, Scott said.