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.

[Eva]

You are overly defensive, to the point of being blind. The reports of Elizabeth meeting with Mitchell are is the only scenario that makes any sense. It does not reflect on anything except the extreme naivete of a 14 year old girl and her family. You have to include the family because they had to have know about the visits. They also had to have observed Elizabeth talking to Mitchell the day that the mother brought him home.

[Illbay]

But I don't have much liking for the goody goody parents.

Uh-huh.

Tell us: What was your opinion about the van Damms, then?

[areafiftyone]

I have a lousy opinion of them too. If you love your kid you don't exploit them by allowing Hollywierd to do any kind of movie on them until the kid is healed mentally and you have thought long and hard about the repercussions of this. They could easily sue Hollywierd if they try to make a movie. There is no need for a movie about this story right now. How long has it been since she came home? Not very long.

[Illbay]

The reports of Elizabeth meeting with Mitchell are is the only scenario that makes any sense.

Only if you are predisposed, as you certainly are, to believe that this wasn't a case of a young girl who was victimized by monsters, but instead some sort of sordid "Lolita" episode.

Sorry, but most FReepers reject this entirely, and believe what Occam's Razor would suggest: That what happened is what happened, no more.

[Hildy]

Illbay, it's the same crowd...the WESTERFIED is innocent crowd. Don't even try to get any logic, reason or even common sense displayed from them. They want to believe something, and will go down defending it. It's so mean and dark and it really comes from nowhere, and that's the most disturbing element to this.

[Illbay]

What's astonishing to me is their "well, obviously this is what HAD to have happened" attitude, used to support the most convoluted schemes imaginable.

[Roscoe]

According to many of these "real men" on this site, attractive 14 year old girls are eager to run off with middle aged losers.

Ick.

[Hildy]

Do you really think Hollywood is going to "respect" the "healing time" of this girl. They are going to rush to make it. So instead of leaving the details to the dirty, perverted minds of Hollywood, the parents are going to control what is made. I would do the same thing if it were my daughter, and I hope you would do the same if it were yours. Money? You think this has to do with money? That says more about you than about the Smarts.

[af_vet_rr]

How many of us saw this coming? We had the dad practically making political speeches (hints at running for office?) and the uncle making a ton of money off of being the exclusive photographer.

[Hildy]

Do you have ANY proof he has made a dime from this. Please share.

[Use It Or Lose It]

Hey Moron...did you ever think that maybe they want control over the movie so there WON'T be an exploitation over the sexual aspects? People on this forum state that they are good, religious people, but have a hard time believing that there could actually be people like that out there.

What a lovely demonstration of your language skills. Who are the "people" on this forum that state they (the Smarts) are good? The same ones who all but lynched Richard Ricci last summer. I've known a lot of so-called "good, religious" people who are in church on Sunday then lie, cheat and steal Monday through Saturday.

This family appears to be nothing but camera and money hungry. What people won't do for a bulge in their....bank account. Tsk tsk.

[Illbay]

Well, there is probably a reason they are eager to believe that. Perhaps they fervently wish to "connect" with a 14 year old girl. In the meantime, they can live vicariously through Brian Mitchell, who is undoubtedly a lot more like they are than they'll ever admit.

[Amore]

"The movies of the week are gonna get made with or without them"

Exactly. I've looked at the family with a jaundiced eye several times, but I don't fault them for this.

[Hildy]

But you have no evidence at all about this family. You would rather believe they are rotten and phony. The burden of proof is on you.

[Hildy]

These people HAVE money.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

I find myself wondering how they'd have acted during the OJ case.

[areafiftyone]

Like I said before the Smarts can sue Hollywierd if they don't want to the story done. Its up to them. Hollywierd does not control the world or the Smarts. We will see!

[Hildy]

Oh, you know the answer to that.

[Wrigley]

Just remember the Mormon church gets its 10% cut.

[Hildy]

Yes they do. Hollywood can make a movie with or without their permission. No suing is going to stop it.