officers - The Black Vault

1 Grimes
!
Lerman
••
'FD-350 (Rev. 6-8·81)
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(Mount c~'*'g ., ~· Below)
King Switches Attor11_ey~
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in Bid to-Settle Lawsuit'
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lrr===---- ---~~--- - ·-·----·--:----- --· ------ --·----- ---~--~- -. '
I(• Beating: Ne; l~~er says he hopes to ;~pen negotiations with/
,the city tQ resolve victim's civil ri~ts complaint. :
By RICHARD A. SERRANO r- ------ -~- --- -.. --
and ERIC LICHTBLAU
TIMES STAFF WRITERS
I 1
: Steven A. Lerman, the Beverly Hills: i not poaching ori this case." - j
attorney who has represented Rodney G.
King since his beating last year by Los
Angeles police officers, was dropped from
the case and replaced Monday by a promi-
' Lerman said he talked to King on:\
!Sunday, but that the client did not mention'
!Grimes. Ler.man said he learned that he:
,was out as King's lawyer when Grimes:
o :called bim Monday. l
1
I ·~:~t range County criminal defens~ law- would discuss the situation only;
. . in general terms. i
Milton C. Gnmes, a Santa Ana Heights I "Given the state of Mr. King's ability to ,
lawyer who has represented several high- !perceive events and understand the actions I
profile murder defendants in Orange Coun- 'of those around him taken in his defense," I
ty, said he hopes to reopen settl~ment -, /Lerman said, "this move may be a manifes- 1
negotiations with the city over King's ! : tat~on of his medical c~nditi.on. But I don:;/
federal lawsuit that alleges civil rights :believe he harbors any Ill-will toward me. :
violations. ·I.' Lerman also noted that from the instant. 1
Last month, King let pass a deadline for 1.' the videotaped beating hit the airwave~s
acc~pting a $1.75-million settlement offer i: King wa~ besie_g7_d ~Y attorneys seeking to
from the city. Lerman.had blasted the offer ._handle.[ns laWSIJit. ~J!llQ§t~very attorne
as insufficient and vowed to take the case i
1 in town has made a run at Mr. King
to trial next year. He had sought a :
I as a client," h~ said.
settlement of nearly $5.9 million for King. ' ! Lerman said he expect~ to. be
said it is too early to discuss how 1 , fully compensate~ for the time and
much it would take to settle the case or to : ·. eff~rt he has put mto the case. He
• • ' ·• : ! esbmated he has spent about
~ay why Kmg was tradmg lawyers at this ! ~ $!25,000 in "out-of-pocket costs,"
JU~.ct?r~. . :
Its JUSt that the young man decrded to ·
· and that he is due another $1
million for "thousands and thou-
)change attorneys," he said. "I absolutely i sands of hours" spent by himself
1 won't get into criticizing Lerman. I guess and his staff.
[King] j~st ~inal~y de~ided to retai~ m~- ; "I have a substantial investment.
what his, dissatisfaction was or Is with , here," he said. "My efforts have
:(.,erman, I m not prepared to get into." : been monumental."
i
1
Sources. close to the ca:se said that , Lerman also said he will miss
Grimes had been in contact 'fith King's :.
wife~s aunt about intervening in the law- ,
working closely with King. .
"I've had Rodney King in my'
suit, and that King had been under family : i home, sitting and having dinner
1
pressure for some time to hire Grimes in with my family," Lerma~ said .."I
Lerman's place. . Ltried to be ther~for him Qn l'P,li~Y·
Grimes would only say that King and '
family members have kept in touch with :
:him after Lerman was hired to sue the city. i
He said King came to his Orange County I
office Friday and agreed to hire him on a i
, contingency basis, and that Grimes notified :
r Le_rman of the change Monday. Grimes saidj'
..h~ney~!'_§_olicitedKJ~g_a~ a client..:..~~! -~m
~ ..... of
new•"'*· ely lnd ltlal.)
LA TIMES
LOS ANGELES, CA
Date: TUES. , 10-13-92
Ecltlon: METRO
PG. B1
SWITCHES ATTORNEYS
IN BID TO SETTLE LAWSUIT
~:KING
CMIDC .. L
01
CliP 7*1:
lubmlllnSI Otllce:
1m MQl.ES
~:
many occasions." 1
Like Lerman, Grimes sai~ he is I
concerned about the alleged racial[
overtones in the case, and that he
1
has already met with several black
1
politicians and academicians in Orange
County to discuss the matter.
"Race was certainly a question!
here," Grimes said. "I am from the'
South and I have seen police bru -I
tality toward black men especial- :
ly .... It's something that whitel
1
society says doesn't happen, but 1
· here you have it for once captured~
on videotape."
'
The federal lawsuit remains on!
hold in U.S. District Cour.t, pendingl
the criminal trial of four Los An-~
geles police officers charged with'
violating King's civil rights in thej
beating. ~~
llq.:,LA- IT4q - -~~
\: ? I A f)s·,._ -
SEARCHED \;s;:--INDEXEtl '
SERIAUZEIC FILme"C-
OCT ·13 1992
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LOS ANGELES
P81/DO.I