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Who is Mark Geragos?
He's a criminal defense lawyer based in Los Angeles, and has represented many controversial people including Michael Jackson, Susan McDougal, Winona Ryder, and most recently, Jussie Smollett. On Monday night, his name resurfaced in the news once again.
It was reported that Geragos may have had connections in the arrest of Michael Avenatti, and his attempt to extort millions worth of merchandise from Nike. But on Tuesday, Geragos was seen celebrating the sudden dropped charges of his client, actor Jussie Smollett, and refusing to comment on the Avenatti case.
(Avenatti has denied the accusations, but he has not commented on if Geragos had a role in any of it.)
“Aside from his law practice, he has numerous real estate holdings in hotels, restaurants," Tina Glandian, a partner at Geragos' firm said. "He is not going to risk his law license, his career, his reputation to make a quick hit. He just doesn’t need to. He is settling large cases weekly.”
Colleagues of Geragos said he's always been a "last hope" for defendants. Others described him as a "schmoozer" that knows how to play the game.
“He is both sides of the spectrum,” Laurie Levenson told the Los Angeles Times, a former prosecutor and Loyola Law School professor who has watched Geragos in the courtroom. “A hero and a goat.”
“I am in complete shock right now with everything I have been reading,” said Lara Yeretsian, a defense attorney and former colleague. “He is too good an attorney. He knows too much to be in this mess. I was flabbergasted to see his name next to Avenatti’s.”
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