After Two Nights in Jail, St. Louis Lawyer Ordered to Pay $775,000 to Her Former Firm for Copying Client Files

St. Louis lawyer Chelsea Merta, who was found in contempt of court earlier this year, has been ordered to pay the Stange Law Firm more than $775,000 for copying thousands of client files a week before she resigned from the firm last year, reports the St. Louis P0st-Dispatch.

Tuesday’s order follows a July ruling that found Merta in contempt and ordered her to serve 48 hours in jail. The judge also required Merta to destroy all files in her possession or return them to the Stange Law Firm.

The order to pay $775,707 covers Stange Law Firm’s legal expenses toward months of investigating the case, a security firm’s forensic examination of Merta’s electronic devices and attorney fees, according to Post-Dispatch reporter Joel Currier.

Read the Post-Dispatch article.