Attorney sentenced to five months in jail for sexual battery on a client

An Orange County attorney was sentenced Wednesday to five months in jail for two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery involving a client. His sentence was stayed pending appeal.

Laguna Hills sole practitioner Adam R. Stull, 57, also must register as a sex offender and serve four years of formal probation under the sentence imposed by Orange County Superior Court Judge Michael J. Strickroth, who presided over the one-week trial in July.

The convictions related to Stull touching a woman's buttocks as he massaged her in his office in November 2017 while representing her in a driving under the influence of intoxicants case. The jury acquitted him of a third count that related to Stull allegedly touching the woman's genitals. People v. Stull, 18HF0174 (Orange Super. Ct., filed Jan. 30, 2018).

Stull was convicted of sexual penetration of a minor in 1992 in Kern County while he was a deputy district attorney there, in connection to his position as a mock trial coach. He later had his conviction expunged. He's been a licensed attorney since 1989, though he was suspended for about 15 months for the Kern County crime.

Kevin B. Taylor of the State Bar's Office of the Chief Trial Counsel notified the State Bar Court of Stull's new convictions on July 24, and proceedings are pending. Stull's convictions are for "crimes of moral turpitude," according to the bar records.

Stull is represented by Dana M. Cole, a partner with the Law Offices of Cole & Loeterman in Los Angeles.

Stull was prosecuted by Orange County Deputy District Attorney Michael Carroll.