The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has suspended an Erie lawyer for three years for a number of financial-related problems, including depositing a $50,000 retainer in his personal checking account, rather than a business trust account, and using the money to buy a boat and pay tuition at Cathedral Preparatory School even after the client fired the lawyer days after he was hired and demanded the retainer back.
The suspension applies to David C. Agresti, 52, according to an order the Supreme Court signed on Wednesday. The court accepted a May 21 report from the state Supreme Court s Disciplinary Board, which recommended the three-year suspension and detailed its findings against Agresti.
A day after Milton Raiford, who is embroiled in a public dispute with Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr., refused to represent his client in court, the defense attorney changed his mind. On Thursday, Raiford asked the court if he could return to Vanessa Williams’ case — telling