Celebrity attorney Mark Geragos has filed a Pro Hac Vice Motion in the case of U.S. v. Raniere Et Al – which, when approved, will allow him to join Clare Bronfman’s defense team.
A Pro Hac Vice motion allows a lawyer who has not been admitted to practice in a certain jurisdiction to participate in a particular case in that jurisdiction.
Although such motions are not automatically granted, there is little doubt that the presiding judge in this case, Nicholas G. Garaufis, will approve this one.
Geragos has represented a bevy of famous clients over the years. These include the following:
– Susan McDougal: Geragos first rose to national attention when he represented Susan McDougal, the former business partner of Bill Clinton. McDougal was sentenced to 18-months in federal prison for refusing to answer questions before the federal grand jury that was hearing testimony in the Whitewater case – and then was also convicted in the Whitewater case itself (She served a total of 22-months in prison before being released for medical reasons). After all that, Geragos secured a full pardon for McDougal from President Clinton as he was leaving office.
– Scott Peterson: Geragos also represented Scott Peterson who was found guilty of murdering his wife, Laci, and their unborn child. In doing so, Geragos argued that Laci had been kidnapped by a Satanic cult that had held her hostage until she gave birth – and then killed both her and the baby. Peterson was convicted of two counts of murder, sentenced to death, and has been on death row at San Quentin prison since 2005.
– Michael Jackson: At the same time that he was representing Scott Peterson, Geragos was hired by Michael Jackson who was facing multiple child molestation charges. Jackson later replaced Geragos – and said at the time that “It is imperative that I have the full attention of those who are representing me. My life is at stake…”. Geragos co-counsel on the case was Benjamin Brafman, whose current firm is representing Keith Raniere.
Other famous Geragos clients have included actress and film producer Wynona Ryder; Greg Anderson, the personal trainer of baseball star Barry Bonds; NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield, singer Chris Brown, and actor Jusse Smullett.
In addition to continuing to practice law, Geragos also appears as a legal commentator a variety of television shows. He also co-hosts “Making the Case”, which airs Monday nights on CNN at 10:30 PM.
*****
The addition of Geragos means that Clare Bronfman now has nine attorneys on her defense team. It also means that there are now at least twenty-six defense attorneys currently involved in the case (Several other attorneys who previously made appearances on behalf of the defendants appear to have dropped out).
For those Frank Report readers who are keeping score, here’s a list of the current attorneys:
RE: Keith Raniere
1. Marc Agnifilo
2. Jacob Kaplan
3. Teny R. Geragos (This is Mark Geragos’ daughter)
4. Paul DerOhannesian II
5. Danielle R. Smith
RE Clare Bronfman
1. Dennis Burke
2. Susan R. Necheles
3. Kathleen E. Cassidy
4. Gedalia Moshe Stern
5. William Savino
6. Alexandra A.E. Shapiro
7. Fabien Manohar Thayamballi
8. Mark J. Geragos
9. John Sandweg
RE: Allison Mack
1. William F. McGovern
2. Steven G. Kobre
3. Sean S. Buckley
4. Matthew I. Menchel
5. Gabriela Magda Ruiz
RE: Nancy Salzman
1. Mark J. Sullivan
2. David Stern
3. Robert Soloway
RE: Lauren Salzman
1. Hector J. Diaz
2. Andrea S. Tazioli
RE: Kathy Russell
1. Justine A. Harris
2. Amanda Ravitch
*****
It is unclear why Clare thought it was necessary to bring in a celebrity attorney like Mark Geragos at this point in time (Perhaps there won’t be another superseding indictment – and the trial will actually start on April 29th?)
It is also unclear whether there will be enough oxygen in the courtroom to allow Marc Agnifilo and Mark Geragos to appear at the same time.
Although it was always assumed that the trial would take place at the U.S. District Court House in Brooklyn, NY, it is now possible that it will be moved to the Barclays Center in order to ensure there will be adequate room for all the defense attorneys.
Mark John Geragos is an Armenian-American criminal defense attorney best known for defending pop-star Michael Jackson, actress Winona Ryder, Gary Condit, and Susan McDougal. He was also involved in the Whitewater scandal. He represented Scott Peterson and now Jussie Smollett and Clare Bronfman.
Frank Parlato 
Janine Morrison 
J.J. O'Hara 
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[…] que atualmente representa Clare Bronfman no #NXIVM escândalo […]
[…] who is currently representing Clare Bronfman in the #NXIVM scandal […]
Is that Michael Jackson I hear, or is it the sultan ?
Up until the evidence turned over from Nancy Salzman house Clare Bear thought with her current legal team she could
🎶🎶Beat It, Beat It, I’ve got the legal team to Beat it. I know I am guilty, I know I am bad, right will be enough to get me off fast, so Beat it… just Beat it..🎶🎶
What a joke, this Mark Geragos doesn’t have the best winning record.
Does anyone know if Burke actually is being investigated in relation to NXIVM?
The fact that Geragos would take on
on a client that all ready has ample legal representation really illuminates what a greedy fame craving pile of shit he is.
Illuminates should’ve been highlights
Pecunia non olet.
Yes folks it is time to go public ! Um hello CNN.
Why in hell would you call cnn. Have you seen their dismal ratings. Test patterns get higher ratings and are actually accurate
Before this case is finished Clare Bronfman will dig up the corpses of O.J. Simpson’s late lawyers Robert Kardashian and Johnnie Cochran and hire them.
Robert Kardashian’s grave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7941493
Johnnie Cochran’s grave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10700908
wow you can make a good comment once in awhile….kudos
Thanks for the gravesites. Now I am going out to take a piss
lol Shadowstate.
hit the head on the nail
I’m impressed, neither one of them is associated with Chicago or Mack, and Mr. Shadow wrote about them. Also, they are now “neighbors” in the same cemetery and both died in the NXIVM way, from early cancer.
Ridiculous. Who the hell is in charge of the case now? AgniSTEALO or Geragos?
Ummmm… Isn’t it kind of late to hire a new attorney? A month before the trial? Things must not be looking so hot for Clarebear. Ooof!
And who is going to pay for Geragos’s bill if the Trust Fund is depleted and Clare cannot ask her own Trustee for more money?
If Geragos is really working for Clare now, wouldn’t it make sense for Clare’s defense team to spill the beans on Vanguard and blame him for everything?
Cha ching! Another sleazeball lines his pockets.
I am always fascinated why people are willing to hire defence lawyers, who have helped so many clients into a conviction. Then again, if people were learned in the law, they would never need a lawyer.
The vultures are circling, looking for their share of the carcass (AKA”billable hours”).
Jose Baez might be interested to join the defense team. Then, the trial could be moved and alternate between Yankee Stadium and the Mets ballpark, taking place on days when either the Yanks or Mets is out of town. This would avoid cross-town rivalries and ensure a fair trial. Tickets could be available via Ticketmaster or your local outlet. A major network will broadcast it as a reality TV series with guest commentary by members of the Frank Report.
With Geragos now onboard, it will be interesting to see whether NXIVM gets more news coverage.
Tex2,
With yet another salient point…
These star attorneys cannot do much more than others, but the are useful when
it comes to public relations. Such people are more in demand in the media when
it comes to giving interviews. This means that the get space during airtime or in
press articles.
Having Dennis Burke on the same team of defense lawyers as Mark Geragos is like comic relief. Burke has never tried a case, Burke was previously fined by his bar association for lawyer misconduct, and according to prosecution documents Burke is under FBI investigation himself in the Nxivm case, now.
Betcha It’s Burke seemed to think that Burke’s nose had been put out of joint. Could Geragos be the reason?