Michael Jackson, musician Chris Brown, Susan McDougal of Whitewater ill-fame, disgraced Northern California ex-Congressman Gary Condit and convicted wife-killer Scott Peterson have been among the most notorious clients of celebrated criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos — and his newest client is the Bennett-Harris family, survivors of a pregnant young woman beaten to death four years ago in the Culver City National Guard Armory.
Gerald Bennett, brother of victim JoAnn Crystal Harris, announced today that he has retained Mr. Geragos.
Mr. Bennett and his two surviving sisters are seeking financial compensation from the state on grounds of negligence by the California National Guard in the murder committed, on the property behind Vets Auditorium, by veteran Guardsman Scott A. Ansman.
At the center the dispute that has been active for more than a year is whether the Bennett-Harrises should accept the $400,000 offered to them through the state Attorney General’s office.
Mr. Bennett, leader of the family since his mother died two months ago, has a seven-figure settlement in mind. He has been increasingly dissatisfied with the attitude of his previous lawyers, most recently Mario Vega and Milton Grimes.
Mr. Bennett explained he made the change because Mr. Vega and Mr. Grimes “were playing games and siding with the state. They had this case too long for there not to be any communication with me.
“Sometimes when I called their office, there was no answer. Days later, they would call back and tell me they had not heard anything.
“I kept saying, let’s go to trial.”
As for Mr. Grimes, “I never really trusted what he was doing or what he said he was doing. It never panned out. It didn’t sound right.
“We were the clients, and there was no communication. I mean none. Led me to believe he was working with the other side or he wasn’t working at all.”
The civil case has not been in a courtroom since last January, and even though Mr. Geragos only recently agreed to take the case, he will be prepared for the next hearing on Monday, Nov. 7, according to Mr. Bennett. “I talk to them every day,” he said.
