M&C Wins Defense Ruling on Fraud Claims in “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Case

July 29, 2011

B. Casey Yim and Scott R. Jackman, won a second defense result against Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman on July 27, 2011.

The plaintiffs alleged that Chapman was "fraudulently induced" to enter into the attorney-fee agreement because the attorneys were "not licensed to practice law in Mexico,” and that it was only recently discovered in November 2009. However, the plaintiffs' claim of practicing law without a license was one of the original grounds of legal malpractice in the plaintiffs' original arbitration demand issued in June 2008, which has been defensed.

The court ruled that even if the fraud claim was valid, the plaintiffs waived it by waiting to file for over two and a half years, and after the arbitrator's substantive adverse rulings granting the defense motion for summary adjudication.