San Diego, California – A once-rising figure in San Diego’s legal community was formally sentenced Thursday, bringing an end — at least for now — to a scandal that upended clients’ lives and marred the reputation she had built for herself.
Kelly DuFord Williams, 38, who once ran the Slate Law Group and was celebrated by San Diego Magazine as one of its Women of the Year “Rising Stars,” pleaded guilty to stealing money from her clients. On Thursday, a judge sentenced her to time already served in county jail, along with three years of mandatory supervision.
The courtroom was far from celebratory. Three of Williams’ former clients spoke directly to the court about the months — in some cases years — they spent waiting for settlements that never arrived. They described repeated excuses, empty promises, and a sense of betrayal by the attorney they had trusted to fight for them. Prosecutors allege that Williams stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from as many as eight clients, forging signatures on settlement checks and quietly pocketing the proceeds…