In an unusual proceeding Monday, a Dane County judge found a Madison lawyer guilty of felony theft by fraud for overbilling the State Public Defender’s Office for hundreds of hours of work he never performed.

David G. Stokes, 61, admitted through his lawyer during a trial before Dane County Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara that much of what prosecutors alleged was true by agreeing to many facts alleged in a criminal complaint against him.

McNamara found Stokes guilty of theft by false representation after brief arguments by Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney David Feiss, who was special prosecutor in the case, and Eric Schulenburg, Stokes’ lawyer.

During his argument, Schulenburg said that at one point he and Stokes explored whether it would have been appropriate to enter an Alford plea, in which a defendant admits that there is sufficient evidence to convince a judge or jury that he is guilty but still maintains innocence.

Feiss said Stokes submitted 628 billing entries to SPD involving more than 40 clients for loss to SPD of about $27,000.

Stokes will be sentenced in about two months after a pre-sentence investigation.