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Former lawyer has 237 years to pay off malpractice judgment

A payment schedule imposed by Connecticut judge gives a former New Haven solo 237 years to pay off a malpractice judgment.

Judge Trial Referee John Flanagan found that former lawyer Terence Hawkins owed $431,000 under an agreement to settle the malpractice case, payable at the rate of $35 a week absent evidence of a greater ability to pay, the Connecticut Law Tribune reports. Hawkins reportedly had no malpractice insurance, the story says.

A dispute over the validity of the settlement has yet to be resolved, according to the story.

The former client, Gail Resha, had claimed in her lawsuit that Hawkins did not bring a claim against her plastic surgeon before the deadline for filing. Hawkins had attributed the problem to difficulty finding an expert who would say the doctor failed to satisfy the standard of care.

The lawyer who represented Hawkins in the matter, Roger Calistro, said the order to pay a nominal amount is a standard type of order that will give Resha an opportunity to pursue a wage execution.

Hawkins gave up his law license in October and a trustee is winding down the solo’s law practice. In a recent court filing, the trustee said there may be a shortfall between the money in Hawkins’ trust accounts and the money owed to his clients, the story says.

Hawkins is also a published author, Calistro says. His latest novel, American Neolithic, is about a Neanderthal who survives in the 21st Century. The book is a satire about civil liberties, Calistro says. “It’s funny and it’s topical,” he tells the ABA Journal.

Updated at 12:35 p.m. to add Calistro’s comments.