Roots in a Deadly Aviation Disaster (Image Credits: Sbsun.com)
Los Angeles – A former lawyer from the defunct Girardi | Keese firm entered a guilty plea to criminal contempt after withholding settlement money owed to families of victims from the 2018 Lion Air plane crash.[1][2]
Roots in a Deadly Aviation Disaster
The case traces back to October 29, 2018, when Lion Air Flight 610, a Boeing 737 Max 8, plunged into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 people aboard.[1] Indonesian relatives hired Girardi | Keese, a prominent personal injury firm led by Tom Girardi, to pursue claims against Boeing in federal court in Chicago.
The lawsuits settled in 2020 for $7.5 million, with funds wired directly to the firm’s client trust account in March of that year. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin directed immediate distribution to the clients, many of whom were widows and orphans left grieving.[1] Yet the money sat untouched for eight months amid repeated demands from the families.
Griffin’s Admissions and Firm Turmoil
Keith Griffin, 54, from Temple City, served as one of the final attorneys at Girardi | Keese as it unraveled in 2020. He admitted knowing the funds remained undistributed despite the court mandate.[1][2] Griffin confronted Girardi several times about releasing the payments and withheld key details from a Chicago lawyer assisting on the matter…