Lawyer who forged judges' signatures on more than 100 documents is sentenced
A Miami lawyer was sentenced Thursday to 364 days in jail for forging judges’ signatures in more than 100 Florida civil cases involving structured settlements.
Jose Camacho, 47, had claimed he forged the signatures of at least eight Broward County judges because he had a high-volume practice and didn’t want to wait for signoffs from backlogged judges, the Miami Herald reports. His sentence also includes 10 years of probation.
Judges in Florida are required to approve structured settlements, which are paid out over time. Camacho was able to submit the forged paperwork because lawyers were allowed to take signed orders to the clerk’s office on their own, the article explains. Broward County now requires involvement of a court clerk.
Camacho’s forgeries were discovered after Judge Marina Garcia-Wood noticed an order with her signature had a date when she was out of town.
