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Judge Agrees To Delay Alleged Phony Lawyer Trial

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Dec 17, 2008 6:18 pm US/Central

Judge Agrees To Delay Alleged Phony Lawyer Trial

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) ― A federal judge in North Dakota has agreed to delay the trial of a man charged with impersonating a lawyer.

Howard O. Kieffer, 53, who currently lives in Duluth, Minn., is charged with mail fraud and false statements. Authorities accuse Kieffer of working on federal cases in several states even though he has no law degree.

Lawyers from both sides said the trial delay is needed to review an updated indictment filed by the government earlier this week. Their motion for a delay also said there have been "meaningful plea negotiations" in the case.

U.S. District Judge Patrick Conmy moved the trial from Jan. 6 to April 14. An arraignment on the updated indictment is scheduled for Friday in Bismarck.

The updated complaint lists five clients who paid Kieffer a total of $157,000, including $50,000 from Gwen Bergman, a Colorado woman who was found guilty of hiring someone to try and kill her former husband. North Dakota is the first state to prosecute Kieffer.

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