Local lawyers slapped by state bar

The State Bar of California has announced actions against three San Diego County lawyers. Jerry Lane Hefner of Julian was disbarred by default for failing to participate in proceedings to determine whether a prior conviction involved moral turpitude.

According to the Bar, Hefner was a passenger in a car in Illinois, asleep in the front seat. The police stopped the car. He loudly cursed the cops. Troopers making the stop found he had a glass pipe in his pocket. Trained dogs found signs of methamphetamine, marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia. He was convicted of possession of methamphetamine, a felony. The state bar court said his offense did not involve moral turpitude, but warranted discipline. He had been disciplined before.

Pamela Catherine Girardi was publicly reproved after pleading guilty to one count of driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or higher, a misdemeanor. She was on probation at the time, having been convicted of an alcohol offense in 2011 in which her car turned over. Online information indicates she is corporate counsel at Scripps Health.

Karen Kerry Yianilos was suspended for 60 days and put on probation for two years. She had used part of a client's trust fund for personal expenses, including buying her daughter a new car.