Tom Girardi to undergo psychological testing before sentencing in $15M wire fraud conviction
Tom Girardi to undergo psychological testing before sentencing in $15M wire fraud conviction
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Tom Girardi has been ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine where he should serve his sentence following his conviction on federal wire fraud charges. Lawyers for the former attorney, whose landmark settlement against Pacific Gas & Electric was featured in the Oscar winning film Erin Brockovich, requested a new trial in October, claiming the 85-year-old estranged husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne suffered from dementia and was unfit to stand trail prior to his conviction in August.
![[Girardi's attorneys have argued their client suffers from dementia and should not be imprisoned. U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton ordered on Friday that he surrender to officials on January 7 for evaluation (Pictured in Los Angeles in April 2018)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/21/16/93383913-14216901-image-a-3_1734799549632.jpg)
In order to determine if those concerns are valid, U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton ordered on Friday that he surrender to officials on January 7 for evaluation. Girardi will be then flown to the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina, for 30 days to see whether he qualifies for incarceration at a Bureau of Prisons center serving severely impaired, elderly defendants.
![[The disbarred attorney will be flown to the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina , for 30 days to see whether he qualifies for incarceration at a Bureau of Prisons center serving severely impaired, elderly defendants (Pictured in Los Angeles in August)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/21/16/93383883-14216901-image-a-4_1734799693842.jpg)
After that, he would be returned to California for a hearing to determine if he should serve his sentence at a prison or medical facility. The disbarred attorney's legal team argued it wasn't necessary for their client to travel across the country for evaluation. 'Mr. Girardi has special needs relating to his memory,' defense attorney Samuel Cross said.
![[Girardi built the prestigious LA law firm Girardi & Keese after he and Erin Brockovich won a huge legal victory against a California utility giant. That battle inspired the Oscar winning film Erin Brockovich (Pictured in Toronto in September 2011)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/21/16/93384233-14216901-image-a-5_1734799908821.jpg)
