Christopher “Chris” Pettit will remain in jail after a bankruptcy court judge ruled that the disgraced former lawyer had not done enough to clear himself of a contempt of court charge, San Antonio Express-News reported. Pettit, who is accused of stealing millions of dollars entrusted to him by his one-time clients, has been locked up for about two months at the Karnes County Detention Facility for failing to comply with court orders. Telling Pettit he holds the keys to his jail cell, Chief Bankruptcy Judge <b>Craig Gargotta</b> set 17 conditions that the ex-attorney must satisfy to be released. First is that Pettit turn over a business laptop to the trustee administering the bankruptcy estate. Pettit has given conflicting accounts regarding its whereabouts. “It would really move things along if Mr. Pettit would come clean about what happened with regard to the laptop, good or bad, so we could move on in this case,” Chief Judge Gargotta said. The laptop purportedly contains information the trustee wants regarding Pettit’s clients and their funds. The judge was not convinced that Pettit has been forthcoming about the laptop’s location. Counsel for the trustee previously reported that Pettit failed to disclose his ownership of two Mercedes-Benz automobiles. On Wednesday, it was revealed he also failed to report ownership of a mobile home that has been used by the family of a woman taking care of Pettit’s minor son. Pettit filed for bankruptcy protection for himself and his law firm June 1 after allegations surfaced that he had absconded with money belonging to his clients. He surrendered his law license in lieu of discipline and shuttered his law practice. The FBI has been investigating the allegations. Roughly $260 million in claims have been submitted by creditors in the bankruptcy cases. (Subscription required.)
