On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, the Supreme Court of California issued an order suspending Timothy Elwood Gomes from practicing law for one year, with the suspension stayed and Gomes placed on probation with conditions for one year.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Timothy Elwood Gomes,” with case no. S284555.
The order stems from a stipulation agreement reached between Gomes and the State Bar of California in March 2024 regarding disciplinary charges filed against Gomes. According to the stipulation, Gomes received two prior disciplinary actions in 2018 related to client matters where he failed to refund unearned fees.
In the latest matter, Gomes was charged with commingling funds after depositing $2,050 of his own money into his client trust account in June 2023 in order to pay outstanding costs and fees from his prior discipline. While he had no client funds in the account at the time, the rules prohibit attorneys from depositing personal funds into a client trust account.
The stipulation noted several mitigating factors for Gomes, including taking responsibility for his actions by entering into the pre-filing stipulation, which avoided further investigation and trial. It was also noted that no clients were harmed as no client funds were involved. Gomes had also experienced significant emotional and physical distress in recent years, including a stroke, his wife’s passing, and losing custody of his children.
Under the terms of the Supreme Court order, Gomes will be suspended from practice for the first 90 days of his one-year probationary period. He must also comply with other probation conditions, pay $1,500 in sanctions to the State Bar’s Client Security Fund, and pay costs associated with the disciplinary proceedings. The order is aimed at protecting the public and maintaining ethical standards in the legal profession.
According to avvo.com, Mr Gomes is a criminal defense attorney in San Francisco, California. He attended the New College of California graduating in 1988. He acquired his law license in California in 1993.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
