L.A. socialite’s lawyer seeks to shift blame in killing of 2 boys in crosswalk: Hers wasn’t first or last car

Regardless of large front-end injury to a Hidden Hills socialite’s Mercedes SUV and witness testimony that she hit two younger brothers in Westlake Village, her lawyer is predicted to inform jurors that the SUV was one in all many autos passing by means of the crosswalk on the time of the lethal incident and that authorities have wrongly centered on her.

Jurors may start to listen to the competing tales as early as Friday in Rebecca Grossman’s trial on two second-degree homicide counts, in addition to vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run prices.

Los Angeles County prosecutors say Grossman, 60, was behind the wheel of a white Mercedes SUV that fatally struck brothers Mark and Jacob Iskander in September 2020. Authorities say she was driving as quick as 81 mph as she adopted former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, whom she had been consuming cocktails with at a close-by restaurant. Prosecutors allege that she traveled a quarter-mile after slamming into the kids earlier than her automobile shut down.

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Division investigated the crash involving the car proven right here.

(Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division)

However Tony Buzbee, Grossman’s lead lawyer and former Houston mayoral contender, says he’ll produce witnesses who’ll testify that a number of automobiles hit the boys. “The protection’s reconstruction specialists will present that Grossman’s car was not the primary car to hit the kids, and one other eyewitness indicated that she was additionally not the final car that made contact with the kids,” Buzbee stated in a press release.

“These witness reviews and video existed from the primary evening of the accident, and as a substitute of attempting to establish the opposite autos, the Sheriff took the simple route and centered on the driving force of the one car that stayed after the accident occurred, Rebecca Grossman.”

Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, middle, and lawyer Tony Buzbee, left, on the Texas Capitol.

(Sam Owens / San Antonio Categorical-Information through AP, Pool Picture)

That video from a home overlooking Triunfo Canyon Street a brief distance from the crash web site reveals a number of automobiles passing within the moments after influence.

Louis Shapiro, a well known L.A. protection lawyer, stated Buzbee’s method is a high-stakes gamble, contemplating that Grossman faces as much as 34 years in jail if convicted of all prices.

“Until there’s forensic proof to assist a idea that one other automobile was concerned, the jury goes to see this as a determined try and absolve her of legal responsibility, and it may very a lot hang-out her at sentencing,” he stated.

“Clearly, the prosecution shouldn’t be prepared to supply manslaughter, so it’s both go exhausting or go residence for the protection,” he stated. “While you throw a Hail Mary [pass], there’s a huge danger of somebody not catching the ball.”

Buzbee argued in court docket final week that sheriff’s investigators by no means checked Erickson’s black Mercedes SUV for injury, although he drove by means of the marked crosswalk a couple of seconds earlier than Grossman. Buzbee stated exterior court docket that additionally they by no means discovered the opposite autos that handed by means of the crosswalk.

“She shouldn’t be responsible of any of the accusations which were made in opposition to her. She was not impaired, she was not racing, she was not going the velocity that they declare, and she or he by no means fled the scene. The very fact [is] that a lot proof was hid, destroyed or just went lacking,” Buzbee stated.

Prosecutors say Grossman and Erickson have been romantically concerned and driving in separate SUVs from Julio’s Agave Grill to a Westlake Village residence the night of Sept. 29, 2020, once they “raced” by means of the crosswalk on Triunfo Canyon Street at Saddle Mountain Drive, with Erickson within the lead.

Two witnesses touring in one other car testified throughout a preliminary listening to that they noticed Erickson’s SUV rushing forward of Grossman’s.

Jake Sands testified that the black SUV — Erickson’s — approached the crosswalk first. There, Nancy Iskander and her three sons — Mark, 11; Jacob, 8; and Zachary, 5 — have been making their means throughout the residential road.

The motive force tapped his brakes, Sands testified. “It swerved and prevented the household proper earlier than,” he advised the court docket in 2022.

An indication exterior the Van Nuys Courthouse in 2022 reveals a picture of Mark Iskander, 11, and his brother Jacob, 8.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Instances)

Yasamin Eftekhari stated the white Mercedes — pushed by Grossman — was unable to keep away from the older boys, who have been farther into the road. Iskander was in a position to seize her youngest son and dive out of the way in which.

“There was a household strolling within the street. The white automobile struck the 2 children within the street,” Eftekhari stated. “The primary baby to get hit, he was up in opposition to the facet [of the road]. I didn’t see the second baby get hit.”

Buzbee, nevertheless, alleged {that a} sheriff’s investigator by no means checked Erickson’s car after the crash and took his phrase in a cellphone interview that he was driving his 2007 Mercedes SUV on the time.

Buzbee advised L.A. County Superior Courtroom Choose Joseph Brandolino that Erickson produced the 2007 Mercedes for examination in civil litigation after the lethal crash. The lawyer then confirmed a photograph of a 2016 Mercedes-AMG that the retired World Collection winner acquired in Might 2019, alleging that it was the SUV Erickson was driving that day.

Buzbee stated he would produce witnesses at trial to put the inspiration for the photograph exhibit, including that it was notably related as a result of one witness advised an investigator she noticed two autos strike the kids seconds aside.

Scott Erickson at a Dodgers sport in 2005. He denies any wrongdoing within the deaths of two boys in Westlake Village in 2020.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Instances)

Deputy Dist. Atty. Ryan Gould stated prosecutors had no proof to assist the exhibit. In truth, they didn’t even know who took the {photograph} that Grossman’s lawyer needed to make use of.

Grossman and her protection staff have a web site with their model of occasions. After prosecutors alleged the socialite and the previous Dodger have been having a relationship on the time of the crash, her husband on the web site acknowledged they have been separated on the time however have been pals.

Buzbee, a high-powered litigator who efficiently defended Texas’ lawyer basic in opposition to impeachment final 12 months, has revealed in pretrial motions a method that seeks to spotlight shortcomings within the Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigation to sow affordable doubt as soon as the trial begins. A jury is predicted to be seated this week in Van Nuys.

Erickson, 55, was charged with misdemeanor reckless driving. His case was resolved in February 2022, with a decide ordering him to make a public service announcement geared towards highschool college students concerning the significance of secure driving. Erickson has denied any wrongdoing.