A settlement meant for Tabatha Kerr's family after her daughter's death never reached them, according to a Michigan attorney discipline ruling. The lawyer who handled the case, Gregory Rohl, was disbarred and ordered to pay restitution.

DETROIT - A settlement meant for Tabatha Kerr's family after her daughter's death never reached them, according to a Michigan attorney discipline ruling. The lawyer who handled the case, prominent Detroit attorney Gregory Rohl, was disbarred effective Oct. 1 and ordered to pay $659,821.44 in restitution, plus $1,446.14 in other costs.

 Lonely. Quiet. Stressful. Empty. Hollow. Defeating. I feel like I'm walking on hell on earth,  that's how Kerr described the last 9 years to Local 4 Thursday.  I am tired of being kicked while I'm down. 


Kerr said she is still fighting for her daughter, 3-year-old Lilliana, nearly a decade after losing her. Now, she is also trying to find out what happened to the settlement money intended for her surviving children.

What happened to the funds?

In a notice of disbarment and restitution, Rohl pleaded no contest to  misappropriating and failing to distribute court-ordered shares  in the wrongful-death settlement. The ruling said his conduct  exposes the legal profession to contempt, censure or reproach  and was  contrary to justice, ethics, honesty or good morals. 

Local 4 reached out to Rohl, who said he is at home recovering from a stroke. His website had also been removed. Rohl told Local 4 that his  now deceased partner and office manager  whom he  trusted,  and assumed control of the firm, is one of the people responsible for the financial loss, saying in part:  What happened on this case is a true tragedy which cost me my 40-year law career. You should review my response to the Request for Investigation which provides a timeline and identifies all those responsible for this loss including my former office manager and the probate attorney appointed by the probate court who was ordered to secure the residual funds on behalf of the children and never did. 

 I have never knowingly taken any monies f

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