AUBURN -- An Auburn attorney admitted Tuesday to committing petit larceny by using funds held in an attorney trust account for her own spending.

Lisa Blair, 34, was sentenced by State Supreme Court Judge Joseph Valentino in Cayuga County Court to three years probation for the misdemeanor of petit larceny. Blair's plea satisfied the felony charge of third-degree grand larceny and two misdemeanor charges of issuing a bad check. She previously completed restitution.

Blair stood at the opposite side of the defense table in the Cayuga County courtroom where she usually represents clients. On Tuesday, she admitted taking money that a local woman was supposed to receive as part of litigation in which Blair's client was on the opposite side. Attorney trust accounts are special accounts in which attorneys, acting in the role of a fiduciary, hold client money.

Blair committed larceny by taking funds that did not belong to her but were entrusted to her attorney trust account between September 2005 and September 2006. Blair issued the money's distributee two bad checks from an Interest On Lawyer Account when there were insufficient funds in the account to cover the checks. One check was issued for $8,934.79 Sept. 1, and another check was issued for $8,418.37 Sept. 5.

For more, read Wednesday's Citizen