Home : Anna Nicole Smith : Virgie Arthur's "Texas" Lawyer Has Checkered Past

Virgie Arthur's "Texas" Lawyer Has Checkered Past

Posted Mar 31st 2007 3:01AM by TMZ Staff

John 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.

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(Page 7 of 33) Previous 15 Comments | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

91. Krista BigMouth Barf got to TMZ!

TMZ needs to check into these lawyers:

Howard K. Stern
M. Krista Barth
Ron Rale
Lilly Ann Sanchez
Wayne Munroe

Posted at 9:22AM on Mar 31st 2007 by I love John O'Quinn!

92. did anyone watch greta last nite ? 11 prescriptions where found written by dr neighbor . nost were in howard k sterns name ?????? isnt that agaisnt the law to give someone your prescription medicine ? or to even write that much medicine to the same person ? something is fishy ? we need mark furman on the job !!!!

Posted at 9:22AM on Mar 31st 2007 by BOYCOTT THE BAHAMAS

93. Krista BigMouth Barf got to TMZ!

TMZ needs to check into these lawyers:

Howard K. Stern
M. Krista Barth
Ron Rale
Lilly Ann Sanchez
Wayne Munroe

Posted at 9:18AM on Mar 31st 2007 by I love John O'Quinn!

94. CONTEST ANNA'S WILL...

ANNA WAS NOT OF SOUND MIND..FOR THE RECORD..SHE'S BEEN SEEN IN THE MEDIA FOR YEARS, AND ON AUTOPSY, UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS.

THE WILL ..SHOULD BE THROWN OUT.

Posted at 9:20AM on Mar 31st 2007 by sherry

95. I love John O'Quinn too! I'm also loving a lot of these comments for saying the obvious!

Posted at 11:06AM on Mar 31st 2007 by pj

96. Hey Smitty. Thanks for your insight. I agree that O'Quinn wouldn't touch Virgie Arthur if it weren't for the money that might become involved. I'd like to know how many alcohol-related convictions he has. I noted during several interviews he was slurring his words.

Posted at 9:25AM on Mar 31st 2007 by LLLinSC

97. Most lawyers are money hungry leeches, especially these:

Howard K. Stern
M. Krista Barth
Ron Rale
Lilly Ann Sanchez
Wayne Munroe

Posted at 9:41AM on Mar 31st 2007 by I love John O'Quinn!

98. There seem to be a lot of people here who are very forgiving of dishonest lawyers. Heaven help you if you happen to be the defendant in a case where the other side is putting bought witnesses on the stand against you and getting away with it. You may have a lot of time to reconsider your opinion while you're sitting in your jail cell serving your sentence.

Posted at 9:27AM on Mar 31st 2007 by smitty

99. Well, tis true...we all probably didn't need TMZ to tell us about Vergies lawyer....BUT, on the other hand, I'm more than sure there's alot of "skeletons" in ALL their closets....it just hasn't come out yet.
As far as the whole bashing thing of Howie, I think perhaps he really enjoys it somewhat. I don't like Howie because he's just annoying to look at - plain and simple (sorry, just being totally honest AND totally ignorant) AND he's being a jerk and a pain in the ass with all his crap...ALSO I hate the fact he didn't FORCEFULLY put Anna into a rehab and stop buying her drugs and being an enabler. He'd have been seen in a much better light than being accused of murdering people. Gee, for being a lawyer he certainly lives in the state of IDIOT, and he's the governor!!!! He even DOCUMENTS her in the throws of her disease....AND he is laughing - really freaking funny!!! Watching, recording and buying drugs for someone he SUPPOSEDLY loved. If Anna was ALWAYS talking about death and dying young like Marilyn Monroe, he should have seen the writing on the wall.

************************** QUESTION FOR ALL THE "HOWIE LOVERS"**********************

Why didn't he just attempt to get her off the drugs, quit buying them AND give her an ultimatum like Larry, Vergie and many others in her life did?????? Hmmmm....MAYBE because she would toss HIM aside like the others and no Anna no $$$$$$$....so he couldn't parasite off of her. His Gravy Train would have been derailed - God forbid he would have to get a - dare I say it - A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!
DON'T SAY "HE JUST LOVED HER SOOO MUCH"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If love was what he truely felt, he would have done what the other people tried to do.......you know them......the ones she only had negative things to say about....and made up lies about....and bashed them on TV when Howie sat next to her as she ranted and raved in a drugged stupor. IF he truely loved her he wouldn't have let her go on national TV like that......and embarass herself. IF he cared sooo much about Dannielynn he would have kept Anna's behavior like that out of the public eye as best as possible - THINKING ABOUT THE "BABY" SEEING HER MOM THAT WAY WHEN THE BABY GREW UP!!!!!!!!

The Bahama's should have kept their noses out of this.....made a NEW "law" (like Howie is trying to do about another matter - to suit himself) US citizens who are VISITORS go back to their own country and deal with the justice system of their "homeland".

Posted at 9:25AM on Mar 31st 2007 by Blanket Statement

100. howard as a lawyer should have known given precriptions in his name to another person is illegal ? do you think howard is a good lawyer ? he had 1 client he supposedley slept with ? why is he not barred ? another question that was on greta was that the sleeping meds were in a duffle bag (proves larrys point ) how if anna who was so weak could she have reached for them ? she needed help to the bathroom ,how could she taken that medicine herself ? howie its all coming out now .

Posted at 9:35AM on Mar 31st 2007 by BOYCOTT THE BAHAMAS

101. Every time I have seen this guy his acts as if he is drunk. He called Larry Birkhead...Burkhart 3 days in a row. What do you expect? Vergie doesn't have any money. She has never asked for a penny from Anna...so this guy is all she can afford.

Posted at 9:29AM on Mar 31st 2007 by Debra

102. Are you all going to be singing the same song when O Quinn and mommie dearest go after Larry B??? When they take that child from " her father"??? O Quinn has already said that that is the plan. Poor Dannielynn. Grandma just wants the money even if she has to keep her from her father. Wake up people they are only out for millions... nothing more.

Posted at 9:30AM on Mar 31st 2007 by hope

103. This weekend's game: Attorney Google. The person who digs up the most dirt on any one attorney wins.

Posted at 9:30AM on Mar 31st 2007 by hounddog

104. GO HOWARD WE LOVE YOU DONT LET VIRGIE TOUCH DANNIELYNN STAY STRONG

Posted at 9:30AM on Mar 31st 2007 by Michelle

105. LOL, Debra....Nancy Grace even corrected him and he kept calling him "Birkheart".... lol

Posted at 9:31AM on Mar 31st 2007 by Blanket Statement

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