This is the motion filed recently by the New Jersey Lawyer’s Fund in their lawsuit against Real Housewives Publicity Manager, Vinnie Leonelli-Spina.

The New Jersey Lawyer’s Fund is an organization that exists to reimburse clients who’ve been the victim of a dishonest lawyer in New Jersey. In Vinnie’s case, the Lawyers Fund has paid out over $300,000 to her former clients since she was disbarred in 2008. The motion below seems to have evolved out of an additional $16,000 that was uncovered during the year long discovery process in this lawsuit.

Cutting through the legalese it looks like the New Jersey Lawyer’s Fund is asking the judge to throw out any defense Vinnie might provide regarding the additional $16,000 because Vinnie hasn’t been cooperating in the discovery process. Vinnie didn’t respond to numerous requests to have questions answered and documents provided which are standard in discovery. 

It’s pretty bizarre for a lawyer, even a disbarred one, to ignore standard procedure in a lawsuit but I suppose if you’re already on the hook for over 300 grand, another 16 thousand isn’t worth the hassle of typing answers to all those questions.

The $16,000 in question was paid to Vinnie by one of her clients who was, according to the motion, a life long friend of hers. Vinnie was supposed to hire an expert to give testimony in a medical malpractice lawsuit but she never hired the expert nor did she return the money.

With a friend like Vinnie, who needs enemies?

Should the judge agree to the motion it would prevent Vinnie from giving any defense to why she took the money and perhaps cause the judge to rule against her in the lawsuit. A contempt of court charge wouldn’t be out of online.

Vinnie has been pretty much in contempt of court since she was disbarred. It’s all coming back to haunt her now.