James “Jim” Pickerstein, a very popular former U.S. attorney who worked in various positions as a federal prosecutor from 1972-1986, died recently after a long battle with cancer. He was 76. He was extremely well liked and respected among members of the bar, even after he was convicted of fraud for stealing nearly $700,000 from a client. The money he stole had belonged to former Danbury garbage company owner James Galante, who was being prosecuted under a Justice Department crackdown on price fixing in the trash-hauling industry. The Justice Department had agreed to pay Galante as part of a settlement after seizing his business. The money Jim took was part of those funds.
Jim’s guilty plea and conviction stunned the bar. Previously, he was an outstanding lawyer, and the path he took did not reflect his years of service. His sentence of 30 days paled in comparison to the shame he suffered. He had already given up his law license a year earlier, admitting that there was “sufficient evidence to prove by clear and convincing evidence” a violation of professional rules concerning the safekeeping of client funds.
