Lawyer, Court Clerk Face Felony Counts

SANTA ANA — A civil lawyer and a Superior Court clerk accused of falsifying documents in a personal-injury lawsuit were ordered to stand trial Tuesday on felony conspiracy charges.

Roland Ramez Salameh, 43, a lawyer specializing in personal-injury law, and Linda Lucille Brierley, 41, a court clerk for 11 years, allegedly gave a wrong date in a court document to try to cover up a late filing by Salameh in a lawsuit he was handling.

At the close of a preliminary hearing, Municipal Judge James Brooks on Tuesday set a Nov. 12 arraignment in Superior Court for the two Orange residents.

The pair are charged with felony conspiracy to present false documents, preparing the documents and submitting them to the court.

Salameh is accused of acting unlawfully while representing a plaintiff in a car accident who filed for a default judgment in 1990. Prosecutors allege that Salameh did not submit the documents until after the deadline, then later offered a backdated document to comply with court procedure.

Brierley is charged with helping Salameh with preparation of the false document. She had done some work for the attorney unrelated to her clerk’s job.

Salameh could face up to four years in prison and lose his license if convicted. Brierley faces similar penalties and has been demoted and had her pay docked pending the outcome.