Smart Family Hires Entertainment Lawyer

CBS News ^

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Smart Family Hires Entertainment Lawyer

SALT LAKE CITY, April 5, 2003

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Elizabeth Smart with her father, Ed (AP/Deseret News, Tom Smart) Elizabeth with her parents Lois and Ed (AP Photo/Deseret News, Tom Smart)

(AP) Elizabeth Smart's family has hired a Los Angeles entertainment attorney to help them screen movie and book proposals about Elizabeth's abduction and remarkable return.

Kelly Crabb, who reportedly has negotiated contracts for Paul McCartney, Dave Matthews and Muhammad Ali, was hired a week ago, said Chris Thomas, the family's spokesman.

According to his firm's Web site, Crabb's areas of practice include motion picture, television and other programming production and financing; composer agreements, personal appearances and motion picture distribution.

"These kind of contracts are very specialized," Thomas said.

Crabb received bachelor's and master's degrees from Brigham Young University before earning a law degree from Columbia University in 1984. He also worked for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.

Elizabeth, now 15, was abducted from her bedroom on the night of June 5. On March 12, she was found in a Salt Lake suburb with her alleged kidnappers.

[sharkhawk]

IMO the father ain't too happy about being pushed off the front page. If they want to be left in peace, they should be suing the people who would exploit the tragedy. Judging by their house, they ain't exactly homeless.

[mountaineer]

From The Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- Elizabeth Smart's younger sister Mary Katherine is among those nominated for the $295,000 in rewards offered in the kidnapping case, a family spokesman said. Mary Katherine told her father in October that the homeless handyman they knew only as Emmanuel might have been the one who abducted her sister from their bedroom in June.... Smart family spokesman Chris Thomas said Wednesday that one or more "outside parties" nominated Mary Katherine for the rewards. If she receives any of the money, it will be donated to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Thomas said. "The family hasn't solicited the rewards (on Mary Katherine's behalf); they're officially neutral," Thomas said. Salt Lake City officials are to determine who will receive any reward money. link to story

[Eva]

She thought she was doing charitable work and went into the city, sometimes an older friend drove her, sometimes she took the bus. One time she took a carton of apples and oranges. She felt sorry for Mitchell and liked Wanda. She talked religion with them.

[Hildy]

LOL. Bingo. I think you nailed it.

[onedoug]

I don't know just what it is, but something about this whole story really stinks to the high heavens.

[Eva]

The point is that she did not do this without the knowledge of her parents. I don't think that she paid for the carton of fruit by herself.

[Illbay]

"Money grubbing"? Did you read what it actually SAID?

They are getting scores of OFFERS, unsolicited. They're trying to figure out what to do, so they hire a fellow "Mormon" to help them sort it all out.

If anyone is "money grubbing" it is Hollywood. So what else is new?

It is NOT money-grubbing to receive the offers, and to be deliberate in pondering what to do about them.

Why not, just once, give this decent family the benefit of the doubt?

[Illbay]

He never said that, never. This is just one more lie about this family that has been bandied about. It's wrong.

[freekitty]

I see the show begins.

[bonfire]

And what parents would let their kid go to a homeless shelter without an ADULT? ESPECIALLY a Homeless shelter??

I hope this story isn't true.

[Illbay]

So someone should call CPS because the Smarts continue to get book and movie offers?

Come again?

If you ever send in a Publisher's Clearning House Sweepstakes offer, I'm dropping the dime on you. You're obviously not a fit parent.

[Illbay]

I'm so sick of this phony "kidknapping" story...

"Phoney"? What is it that YOU know that the rest of us don't?

Oh, nothing, eh?

Why not shut up, then, and stop reminding us of your foolishness?

[LuisBasco]

How smart is this?

[ladtx]

Don't jump the gun on my comment. See #28.

[bonfire]

Somehow PCH sweepstakes and screening movie offers for your traumatized child aren't on the same level for me. But hey, that's just me!

[Eva]

Probably the same parents who brought street people into their home to do menial labor for a cheap price.

[Illbay]

Did you read the report, a little over a week ago, that said that Elizabeth had met with Mitchell five or six times before the kidnapping?

Where'd you read that? "Weekly World News"?

Either give us a source, or shut up.

I'm so sick of the rumor-mongering on this story. When the kid was missing, the family was "evil," and now that the kid has been found, and we know what really happened, people like you simply shift gears to keep the emphasis on your "evil family" delusion.

You make me sick. Put up, or shut up.

[Illbay]

Oh, thanks for that "source."

I guessed "Weekly World News," and I wasn't far off, was I "Eva" (is it "Braun" by any chance?)

Disgusting. People who will lambaste the "mainstream media" for "biased" reporting on political issues think nothing of referenceing "Globe" as a substantive source, as long as it panders to their prejudices!

Gag.

[areafiftyone]

I believe Elisabeth Smart and the fact that she was kidnapped by that scary monster. But I don't have much liking for the goody goody parents. I believe that the parents are going to use their daughter's tragedy to make money (as if they really need it). There is something just kinda wierd about them sort of surreal in their appearance. I believe Elisabeth is innocent in all this and this is truly the parent's idea to do the movie. She will go along with it because she is still underage and has no say right now. I feel bad because all her friends from now on will know every detail about her kidnapping. There will be no rest for this girl for a long time. Her parents are starting something that will have a major impact on this girl's healing. She will never get over this.

[Illbay]

The point is that based on nothing but your own prejudiced assumptions, you're willing to concoct an entire psychopathology of this family. You don't know them, you only ASSUME that since they seem nice and normal they must be "evil" underneath.

So, I guess I'm okay with concocting a similar profile about you and your family. If you send in a PCH entry, you must want something for nothing, ergo you are a terrible parent, etc.

Same logic.