Criminal Justice
Ex-Felon on N.Y. Expert List
New York City will increase oversight of those on a roster of court-appointed experts following disclosures that a convicted felon on the list billed $61,000 for work never performed.
Richard Gottfried was placed on the list as a mitigation expert, even though he was convicted of federal fraud charges in 1996, according to the New York Times.
Besides billing for work not performed, Gottfried also overstated the work he did do, collecting another $97,000, investigators concluded.
Gottfried worked for the Assigned Counsel Plan, getting work on more than 120 criminal cases. His lawyer did not return the Times’ phone calls.
