Posted on 06/27/2003 7:26:57 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
MODESTO, Calif. (Court TV) — Scott Peterson's lawyer and the attorney for his former mistress traded insults inside and outside a court hearing Thursday in a verbal brawl that included references to "Saturday Night Live" skits, a gazelle, the county fair and at least one declaration of war, but practically nothing about the crime which could land the accused double-murderer on death row.
The face-off between media-savvy lawyers Mark Geragos and Gloria Allred, which the participants variously described as "a battle," "a game" and a buffalo hunt, ended with Stanislaus County Superior Court Judge Al Girolami rejecting Geragos' charge that Allred had violated a gag order by speaking about the case on cable talk shows.
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The judge said Allred was not covered by the order, which prevents lawyers, police, investigators and potential witnesses from publicly discussing evidence concerning the murder of Peterson's pregnant wife, Laci, and unborn child. Allred represents Amber Frey, a masseuse who began an affair with Peterson about a month before the killings and has been described by Allred as a key trial witness.
"Even if she were, I'm satisfied [her comments] were not clearly and specifically prohibited," said Girolami, who kept a calm and matter-of-fact demeanor as the two sides bickered.
At the conclusion of the hearing, a beaming Allred stepped from the court and told a crowd of camera crews she was thrilled that Geragos' attempt to "slime" her had failed.
"In plain English, I can keep speaking and I will," she declared.
During the hearing, Peterson seemed to follow the arguments closely, turning in his chair at the defense table to watch each attorney talk. His parents, sister and brother attended the hearing, as did Laci Peterson (news - web sites)'s mother, Sharon Rocha. She and the Petersons, who sat in the front row of the gallery separated by a 4-foot-wide aisle, did not acknowledge each other during the hour and a half hearing.
The spat between Geragos and Allred concerned her appearance on two cable shows during which she cast doubt on the defense's claim that they had credible evidence the real killer of Laci Peterson and her son, to be named Conner, was still at large.
Allred (who is the mother of Court TV anchor Lisa Bloom) insisted she had appeared on Fox News and CNN not as Frey's lawyer but as a legal expert entitled to express her opinion, but Geragos called this defense "a game."
"Like it's some kind of bad 'Saturday Night Live' skit in terms of what she's doing, like some kind of schizophrenic lawyers," he said.
Allred, wearing a sky blue pants suit with a cream flower-shaped broach on her lapel, sat in the front row of the courtroom listening intently as Geragos, who also did extensive cable television legal commentary on the case before Peterson's family hired him, attacked her motives in taking the case.
He has alleged that Allred is representing Frey for the publicity and said Thursday she seemed willing to appear on any television show and even at "the county fair" if it meant drawing a crowd.
"Nobody can quite figure out why Ms. Frey needs a lawyer," he added.
He predicted that "every Tom, Dick and Amber" would retain their own lawyers to make their case in the media without violating the gag order.
Allred had met with prosecutors in the past and announced that meeting on a cable show, but Geragos seemed to try to discredit any close relationship between her and prosecutors.
"I think if they had their wish list, they'd make Miss Allred evaporate," he said, prompting giggles in the courtroom gallery.
Allred's law partner, John West, spoke for her in court. He compared the massive press coverage of the Peterson case to "one million buffalos" running across a prairie and said it was unfair to blame only "the buffalo named Allred" for the media crush.
Before West could implore more metaphors, Judge Girolami said he agreed that Allred was not in contempt and did not need to hear further arguments.
The judge refused Geragos' request to modify the gag order so lawyers could publicly refute false information about their clients, saying it would undermine the purpose of the order.
"The more this case is tried in the media, the less likely we can get a fair and impartial jury," the judge said.
The judge was more receptive to Geragos' claim that the county district attorney, James Brazelton, had also violated the gag in an interview with the Modesto Bee. Girolami, however, said any contempt hearing would probably take place after the trial.
"We don't need a bunch of side issues generating any more publicity," the judge said.
When the hearing recessed, Allred told reporters on the courthouse sidewalk, "I think Mr. Geragos knows if he wants war with me, he gets it."
"I don't run from battle. I'm fully prepared for battle ... Let the games begin," she said.
West, flanking her, added that he had rethought his court analogy.
"Miss Allred is, in fact, a gazelle, not a buffalo," he said.
Pot calling kettle black.
I'm not a big fan of Gloria Allred but I find it hilarious that notorious publicity hound Mark Geragos is accusing her of being a....publicity hound.
On the downside, I can't find a parking place downtown around the circus. :)
Disbarment? Hell, he is a co-conspirator to multiple murder.
No. The whole point of the case now is which lawyer can grab the most publicity.
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