Lawyer for Alleged Ponzi Schemer Jailed over Discovery Issues
A lawyer for alleged Ponzi schemer R. Allen Stanford spent a night in jail last week after a judge found him in contempt of court for failing to turn over documents in a separate case.
The Houston lawyer, Robert Bennett, was jailed after refusing to provide documents in a civil suit against him over sharing legal fees, the Houston Chronicle reports. Bennett, of Houston’s Bennett Nguyen Joint Venture, joined Stanford’s defense team in April.
Bennett’s lawyer, R.P. “Skip” Cornelius, told the Houston Chronicle that his client spent the night in jail even though Bennett’s wife had the money to pay the $5,000 bail. Bennett didn’t get released, Cornelius said, because of a paperwork error or miscommunication at the jail.
Bennett produced the documents Monday, the story says.
The Houston Chronicle described Bennett in a prior article as a consumer lawyer who also handles some criminal cases.
