Attorney Darryl Fountain of Wilmington, DE; ethical ogre

The state of Delaware provided Darryl K. Fountain with a law license in 1994 after he graduated from Widener University School of Law.

FYI: Widener is ranked as the 168th best law school in the country out of 202 ABA accredited schools.

The Delaware Supreme court found Darryl guilty of the following misconduct.

• Failed to safeguard client funds
• Commingled client funds with personal funds
• Improperly used an ATM card to withdraw from his escrow account (which holds client and third-party funds) for purposes of paying his personal expenses
• Failed to provide written statements to them explaining how their funds would be earned by him
• Failed to account to client and to the ethics investigators for the use of their funds
• Failed to promptly respond to ethics investigators (Up yours, said Darryl!)
• Improperly took $7,500.00 retainer check and deposited it into his operating account before he had earned it
• Client never received refund of his retainer or accounting regarding the use of his funds
• Failed to maintain adequate financial books and records for his law practice
• Failed to file or pay his 2002 personal income taxes
• Failed comply with the requirement to designate his escrow account
• Failed to accurately report the status of his books and records on his 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 Certificates of Compliance filed each year with the Supreme Court
• Engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice
• Knowingly failed to comply with Supreme Court’s continuing legal education Rules
• Caused actual damage to three clients

As a direct consequence of his misconduct, the enablers for Attorney Misfits sitting on the Delaware Supreme Court punished Darryl by gifting him with a complimentary 3-year suspension of his law license.

As we speak (ca. February 2020) Darryl practices at 1225 North King Street in Wilmington, Delaware.