Tom Girardi Enters 'Not Guilty' Plea Amid Mental Confusion, Turns Over Passport

Tom Girardi showed up to a court date on Monday that enter a not-guilty plea and he left with a lot of stipulations.

The disgraced lawyer stood in a Los Angeles courtroom and was ordered by Judge Karen L. Stevenson to undergo a mental health evaluation. The news, shared by Page Six comes as no surprise to those who have been following the drama.

Erika Jayne, Tom’s ex-wife has been saying for at least 2 years that Tom is not all there, especially after a car accident he had where he supposedly flipped his car. Normally in a situation like this, going in front of a judge entails getting sentenced.

This judge was clearly aware of the mental competency talk and made the decision to have Tom evaluated. The judge entered the guilty plea on Tom’s behalf and tacked on the evaluation at the end.

The 83-year-old appeared frail and unaware of what was happening as he stood in front of the judge. Tom, who is now disbarred was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in 2021.

The records containing his mental health will be sealed meaning that nosey people like us, the general public will have no access and probably never will. Those involved in the case like court staff and lawyers will have access but cannot discuss the docs in public.

The judge also set Tom’s bond at $250,000 with the stipulation that Tom’s brother, Robert Girardi will have guardianship over him. Tom lucked out and doesn’t have to be attached to a monitor.

He’s also not allowed to leave the Central District of California and while he doesn’t have to wear a monitor, he has to hand over his passport.

Robert, who was present in court agreed to the terms for Tom while the lawyer stood silent in a maroon-colored sweater and black pants. The judge shared with the court that after reviewing Tom’s current financial situation and found that he qualifies for a public defender.

Currently, Tom’s legal team consists of public defenders, Craig Harbaugh and Georgina Wakefield.

There is also an order to notify the Federal Prosecutor on the case, Scott Paetty if assets worth $5,000 or more are transferred from Tom’s estate. The former lawyer is in for a long fight after being indicted by a grand jury on five counts of wire fraud charges for supposedly stealing more than $15 million from his clients.

It’s alleged that when the lawyer was at the top of his game, he and former CFO, Christopher Kazuo Kamon of the now-closed Girardi & Keese law firm came up with “elaborate” lies to steal settlements from victims and families of victims.

The discredited lawyer supposedly used the settlement money and applied it to payroll at the law firm, personal expenses, and paying out other clients' settlements that were previously misappropriated.

This is the definition of robbing Peter to pay Paul! Tom faces up to 20 years in prison but with his mental health failing, what does that mean for his victims and their justice?