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Alleged Phony Lawyer Goes On Trial In Bismarck

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Apr 14, 2009 7:47 am US/Central

Alleged Phony Lawyer Goes On Trial In Bismarck

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) ― The trial of a man accused of posing as a lawyer is scheduled to start today in Bismarck, N.D.

Fifty-four-year-old Howard Kieffer, of Duluth, Minn., is charged in North Dakota with one count of mail fraud and one count of false statements in impersonating a lawyer. Authorities accuse Kieffer of working on federal cases in several states, but they say North Dakota is the first state to prosecute him.

Court records show Kieffer was convicted of theft and filing false tax returns and served time in a federal prison from 1989 to 1992.

His attorneys filed a motion asking that federal prosecutors be prevented from bringing up the convictions during his trial because they happened more than a decade ago.

Judge Patrick Conmy says that he is "not inclined to allow the government to present any evidence" about Kieffer's criminal history. But he says he reserves the right to reverse his ruling if necessary.


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