Las Vegas lawyer disbarred for forging court document

Las Vegas lawyer William Watters has been disbarred for creating a phony legal document to clear the way so he could buy a home.

Henry and Ellen Kuo had a $120,000 judgment against Watters from another matter which was the only thing preventing him from closing escrow on a home.

Evidence presented at the Bar Association hearing indicated that Watters contacted the escrow officer and said the judgment was being set aside. He faxed the officers a document that purported to be a stipulation and order setting aside the Kuos' judgment.

The title officer handling the transaction, however, was suspicious because there was no file stamp on the document, judge's stamp or case number among other irregularities.

The Supreme Court agreed with the bar association disciplinary panel that Watters deliberately tried to defraud the loan, escrow and title companies. He also refused to cooperate with the bar association investigating the situation.

The court ordered Watters disbarred for at least five years and ordered him to pay the costs of the disciplinary hearings in his case.