Virgie Arthur's "Texas" Lawyer Has Checkered Past

John O'QuinnJohn O'Quinn, the larger-than-life, big-mouthed attorney representing Anna Nicole Smith's mother, Virgie Arthur, has some legal skeletons in his closet that don't jibe with the law-and-order image he tried to portray during the Judge Larry portion of the Anna Nicole legal proceedings, where O'Quinn memorably fainted.

TMZ did some digging, and it turns out that O'Quinn was punished back in 1994 for practicing law without a license in South Carolina, where he was disciplined for his methods in signing-up clients after a USAir jetliner crash. And then, in 1998, O'Quinn went through disbarment proceedings with the Texas state bar, which accused him of funneling more than $100,000 to two men who helped him recruit non-attorneys to solicit families of crash victims.

O'Quinn did plead guilty to the charges in South Carolina and ended up paying a $300,000 fine. In Texas, he was let off without punishment.



Reader Comments

(Page 33 of 33) Previous 15 Comments

481. I wish people would lay off Vergie. Anna obviously thought she was an okay mother or would she have left Daniel there for 7 years. She also chummed around with her mother until Vergie couldn't take Anna's Drug use.
As for the trouble her son got into that happened in my family also. My Aunt had 4 children..3 were great kids and grew up to be wonderful adults. One son was in jail for manslaughter and when he got out he stoled all the time. He's spent 3/4 of his life in jail. A bad apple is just that!
If larry is the Dad of Dannielynn I hope he treats Vergie as what she is. The Baby's Grandmother and she and Anna's siblings should be able to see her like any other Grandmother and aunt s and cousins.

Posted at 4:11PM on Apr 10th 2007 by roberta smith

482. John O'Quinn looks after the little guy. He may not be a saint but he aint no Howard K. Stern either. Virgie aint a saint either, but what parent can ever stop loving her child, whether the child cares or not. And lets not forget who was with Anna Nicole for the last 10 years and did nothing to stop her drug taking, and in fact enabled it. Poor Virgie, I hope she is redeemed for warning Anna.

Posted at 5:00PM on Apr 10th 2007 by Ed

483. If Vergie was such a bad mother, why did Vicky Lynn give her Danny to raise for seven years! Maybe she wasn't the best mother but how about Vicy Lynn alias Anna Nicole who taught her son to take uppers and downers and so many different drugs till he finally o'd ? Didn't everyone testify that both Larry & Howard tried to help Danny as he was stealing his mother's drugs and doing them and was always alone in his room with nothing to do as Anna was passed out in her room sleeping the days away for years and Danny was alone without supervision? Let's not talk about bad mothers! Anna would take first prize on that one herself!

Posted at 3:25PM on Apr 10th 2007 by stormy

484. In regards To O'Quinn, You can throw a little dirt at him, In fact, you can throw a lot. We all have to eat a pound of dirt before we die. WOW, I haven't heard that one in a while. O'Qinnn is kool, You can tell he's a fine lawyer. and OH Yes, he likes GRANDMOTHERS. He has my vote. LA FEMME

Posted at 8:22AM on Apr 11th 2007 by LA FEMME

485. Thumbs up to Ellie!! You told it like it is!! You go Girl!! Why would anyone want to subject a precious baby like Dannielynne to a SO-CALLED Grandmother like Vergie. I would'nt let her raise my pet snake!! All she sees is the dollar signs like the rest of them. Has anyone not realized yet, that of all these millions, that all that the DUMMY Attorneys would have to prove in court would be that if Anna had any affairs while married to Marshall it would be BYE-BYE millions. IT IS CALLED ADULTRY!!!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!!!!!

Posted at 6:59PM on Apr 11th 2007 by East Texas

486. Daniel had such a close relationship with his grandma he didnt even look back when his mama took him to live with her. Where was Virgie when Anna needed her most?

Posted at 7:31PM on Apr 11th 2007 by hope

487. Wow...Oquinn the NEW HKS

Posted at 7:34PM on Apr 11th 2007 by hope

488. Poor Anna where was Virgie when she needed her most? When her son had died?? Throwing accusations thats where...instead of boarding a plane to be where Anna was and support her...through thick or thin..

Posted at 7:41PM on Apr 11th 2007 by hope

489. What no Virgie supporters to explain why?? What did they fall of the face of the earth? Why did Virgie not fly as fast to the Bahamas to help Anna as fast as she flew to the Bahamas to be sure Dannielynn was safe????

Posted at 7:57PM on Apr 11th 2007 by hope

490. O'quinn your are a lair. You are below HKS. At least his motives were for love, yours for pure greed!

Posted at 8:14PM on Apr 11th 2007 by hope

491. I AM NOT SURPRISED AT THIS PERSON. HE SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO PRACTICE LAW NO WHERE IN THE WORLD. HIM AND VERGIE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT, THEY WANT TO PUT OTHER PEOPLE DOWN AND HOLD THEIR HEADS SO HIGH. I JUST HOPE THAT LARRY DON'T LET VERGIE AROUND THE BABY. I FEEL THAT VERGIE WAS ALL IF NOT MORE THAN HER DAUGHTER SAID. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THESE TWO PEOPLE., VERGIE'S LAWYER AND VERGIE.

Posted at 5:30PM on Apr 13th 2007 by BETTY

492. O'Quinn such a great lawyer!!! The man could not even get Larry's name correct. Birkhart he said repeatly. Idiot, just like the rest of the Texas trash Anna left behind.

Howard it is your turn: sue, sue, sue...you kept quiet long enough

Posted at 3:26PM on Apr 16th 2007 by all4Howard

493. Information in cyberspace about O'Quinn being investigated for not paying women in the Dow Corning breast implant settlement cases. Attorney Administrators not to charge women interest, etc. and he's violating signed agreements with these women. What's the problem John with sticking it to all those women who put their trust in you? Too many cars, John? If you need to come up with the money to reimburse these women, it's wrong for you to cut a deal with Hardin over the Anna Nicole fortune. Stop the crap about what a good woman Virgie is. Pregnant at 14 with her step-brother's baby, churning out another kid at 16 (Vicky Lynn), and all the other sordid details...not the kind of person or family that you would want YOUR kids hanging out with. Give us a break. Go find some other fortune to chase in your ambulance. Let Larry Birkhead and HIS daughter get on with their lives, and finish your business in TEXAS. Sounds like you're up to your (hiccup) eyeballs in litigation of your own doing in good 'ole boy HOUSTON.

Posted at 12:47AM on Apr 22nd 2007 by O'QUINN SCREWS WOMEN ON BREAST IMPLANT SETTLEMENT

494. You guys are so one sided kissing up to the Stern camp it is a
joke!!!!!!! There's probably not one lawyer or journalist out there
that doesn't have a skelton in their closet. Someone should check
out you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . I'm all for O'Quinn and hope he kicks
some ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go Virgie GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stern
should be very afraid of O'Quinn, he's coming after you sooner or
later. Hopefully sooner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted at 11:30AM on Jun 4th 2007 by belle

495. well acording to artharris.com john o quin has more sketons in his closet now with possible having to give up some of the millions of dollars that he has over some breast inplants that he took way too much of his clint money. I hope to heck they nail him and he can nail virigie for her legeal bills that she seems to think she doesn't have to pay.

Posted at 9:28PM on Jun 16th 2007 by patricia

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