Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Personal Injury Law Blogs -> Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal Injury Law

: Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer

Tony Villegas Needs A Florida Divorce Lawyer

By Steve Lombardi

If you are a lawyer who lives in Florida and can handle a divorce case, then Tony Villegas needs you. I'm licensed as an attorney in Florida, but I don't live there so I'm not a solution; if I were I'd step up to the plate for Tony Villegas.

Can he pay? I have no idea although I suspect the answer is yes.

Why should you do this? Because this guy Villegas needs help in his divorce from Debra Villegas who worked for a man charged in a gargantuan financial swindle. Without a lawyer, Tony, who sits in jail might get taken advantage of.

Why should you help a guy who has been charged with murder, get a fair shake in his divorce? Well because Tony just might be the wrong guy; he has been charged with first degree murder of a woman that many others could have wanted dead. There are so many other people with a better motive than Tony that it isn't even funny. This whole story has Hollywood written all over it. But aside from your fifteen minutes of fame, how about because justice is why most of us started on this path to law school and the practice of law. And how about because honest lawyers care that the legal system works fairly for those who find themselves wrapped up in it.

Bob Norman from Broward-Palm Beach has been blogging nonstop about this case and how Villegas' wife worked for the law firm that was headed by Scott Rothstein, who was recently arrested by the FBI for allegedly running a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme.

How do you get involved? Villegas vs. Villegas is a good place to start.

What's with the murder case? The murder he's accused of committing is of Melissa Britt Lewis. I've written about Ms. Lewis, a promising young lawyer who worked in the law firm where Scott Rothstein was the principal shareholder. I questioned whether she knew too much, was too honest and those raking in the hundreds of millions didn't want her blowing the whistle. What did Tony have to gain with murdering Lewis? Nothing that I can see.

Court filings in the Melissa Britt Lewis Estate can be found by following the link. The attorney who is handling the estate appears from the court records to be Jill Robin Ginsberg.

Broward County Case Number: PRC080003556	State Reporting Number: 062008CP003556A001CE
Court Type: Probate	Case Type: Petition For Administration
Incident Date: N/A	Filing Date: 07/11/2008
Court Location: Central Courthouse	Case Status: Pending - PR
Magistrate ID / Name: N/A	Judge ID / Name: 60J Grossman, Mel
Style: In Re Estate Of: Lewis, Melissa Britt

Did Tony Villegas kill Lewis? I have no idea, but after 30 years of practicing law I have my doubts. The motive that is being asserted is so weak and the evidence against him so flimsy that reasonable doubt is the frosting on this criminal defense cake. Add in the mega-Ponzi scheme that was going on at the time Tony's wife was the office manager at RRA, along with Lewis being as honest as the day is long and reasonable doubt looks like a slam dunk. So if Tony gets off on the criminal charges he's going to need help putting his life back together. And if his ex-wife is charged and convicted in the Ponzi scheme where does this extended family turn for legal help? If it isn't us lawyers then who is it?

Right now no one has been convicted, only charged and the facts surrounding Villegas have to be enormously confusing and overwhelming. So if you're a young lawyer looking to do some good work in Florida or even just getting your 15-minutes of fame, get in touch with Tony Villegas to see if you can help him out in his divorce case.

You can read more at this linked blogs.

RRA Litigation: Tony Villegas Deposition List, A Place to Start (Updated)

Steve Lombardi | December 01, 2009 9:01 AM | 1 CommentDes Moines, IA

Today looks like the day Scott Rothstein will be charged and then arrested by the FBI. He claims to not be talking but those who have followed this story closely see it differently. Rothstein has...

Did honesty get Florida lawyer, Melissa Lewis, killed? (Updated 11 ...

... Did honesty get Florida lawyer, Melissa Lewis, killed? (Updated 11/19/09). ... 'I read your post about Melissa Lewis. Are you aware of the recent events in Ft. ... 101k

What happened to Melissa Lewis? If you can answer that question ...

... Miscellaneous. What happened to Melissa Lewis? If you can answer that question you may get a $250,000.00 reward. ... So what happened to Melissa Lewis? ... 101k

RRA Cast of Characters - Is Tony Villegas the Wrong Man? (UPDATED ...

... public. As for the original crime, the murder of Melissa Lewis is being prosecuted and one man's life hangs in the balance. He ... 101k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_9FaKO0ugM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiv-TsSqu7M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQHxM80yKrg

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on December 04, 2009 (boomark / email).