Court Says Attorney's Conviction Violates Williamson Rule, Tosses 33 of 37 Verdicts

A California appeals court on Tuesday ruled that an attorney who participated in a kickback scheme was improperly charged with a general crime that carried a harsher penalty rather than a more specific crime with a lesser penalty and reversed convictions on 33 of 37 counts. As a result of tossing all but four of the convictions, the 4th District Court of Appeal said it also had to reverse a white-collar sentencing enhancement and vacate a restitution award. An Orange County jury in August 2022 convicted Jon Woods on 37 felony counts of insurance fraud for a scheme that generally involved ref...