Criminal defense attorneys wrangle over legal bill

Two well-known criminal defense attorneys are battling each other over a $10,000 legal bill.

Jeff Rosenzweig of Little Rock, “one of the state’s most prominent practitioners of criminal law, especially in the area of post conviction relief,” has sued attorney Kenneth R. Shemin of Rogers over work Rosenzweig did but wasn’t paid for, according to Rosenzweig’s lawsuit filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court.

Rosenzweig said he was hired in 2009 to file an appeal for Rodney A. Pankau, a Shemin client who is serving a 10-year sentence for burglary and 45 years for rape.

Shemin “promised multiple times, both orally and in writing, to pay [Rosenzweig’s] legal fees and costs,” Rosenzweig said in the lawsuit.

Rosenzweig’s fee is $10,000 to prepare an appeal. He also said Shemin agreed to cover the cost of DNA testing in the case, which was estimated to be $5,000.

But Rosenzweig said Shemin had refused to pay. Rosenzweig also has added the collection lawsuit to the bill.

Shemin declined to comment on the case. But in his answer filed recently he said he didn’t recall any agreement to pay a flat fee to Rosenzweig.

He said he thought Rosenzweig would bill on an hourly basis. Shemin also said he sent a check to Pankau’s family to cover the cost of the DNA tests. 

Shemin asked that the case be dismissed.