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September 28, 2010

Contra Costa DA Candidate O'Malley Steps into the Mel Gibson Mess and TMZ Territory

This is so exciting! I get to cite TMZ as a source for a story--this one involving a figure in a key Contra Costa County political race!

Anyway, the celebrity gossip news site reports that Dan O'Malley, a candidate for the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office, has agreed to help represent the ex-girlfriend of Mel Gibson--who recorded those now notorious career-derailing Mel Gibson meltdown phone calls.

This news about O'Malley's involvement comes as the L.A. County Sheriff's Department tells TMZ that it is several weeks from completing an extortion investigation involving Oksana Grigorieva.

The source about this famous--or infamous--new client for O'Malley, a former Contra Costa County superior court judge, is none other than another East Bay attorney, Daniel Horowitz, who has his own history of inserting himself into celebrity cases.

Horowitz positioned himself as one of those TV legal analysts during the trial of Scott Peterson, briefly represented Orinda housewife Susan Polk and was good buddies with--um--CNN host Nancy Grace. But he retreated from the spotlight, for a time anyway, after his wife, Pamela Vitale, was found beaten to death on their hilltop Lafayette property in October 2005.

Horowitz tells TMZ that O'Malley is now on board to advise his legal team on the domestic violence issues surrounding this case.

According to TMZ: "Specifically, Horowitz says O'Malley will 'hook up people in the domestic violence community to help Oksana,' as well as 'interface with the L.A. County District Attorney regarding the Mel Gibson domestic violence investigation.'"

Gloria Allred wasn't available?

However, if O'Malley wins the election for District Attorney, he will have to give up his role in Grigorieva's legal dream team, TMZ says.

TMZ says the legal team that O'Malley is joining also includes Martin Garbus, who has defended Robert Redford, Al Pacino, and Spike Lee.

"Both [Garbus] and Horowitz rank among America's top litigators," TMZ says.

To continue:

"We're told Garbus and Horowitz will represent almost all things Oksana -- they will be her reps in connection with the domestic violence investigation as well as the extortion probe."

The race for boss of our county DA's office--already entangled in a rape scandal involving a former sex crimes prosecutor, a scuffle between two of its two top homicide prosecutors and allegations of a toxic, unprofessional work environment--continues to get more and more interesting. O'Malley's opponent in the race is Deputy District Attorney Mark Peterson, who was the top vote getter in the June 8 primary.

And, thanks to the Mayor of Claycord for spotting this local angle of one of the biggest celebrity scandals of the past few years.

9 comments:

Martha Ross said...

Well, if Team Oksana wanted to hire Gloria Allred instead of someone lesser known statewide like Dan O'Malley, she's now got her hands full--going after Meg Whitman! http://www.contracostatimes.com/top-stories/ci_16205475

Beau Hunk said...

"Hollywood" O'Malley! Better cross the street when you see this coming.

Anonymous said...

What is it with these publicity whores? First Dan O'Malley now Gloria Allred. (of course Gloria's always been a publcity whore)

Anonymous said...

Sleezy

Daffodil Hugger said...

This woman looks extremely scary. She reminds me of Octomom.

Martha Ross said...

Daffodil Hugger,
You're right! Oksana, Nadia, they could be twins.

They also both have those alluring Eastern European sounding names. But also those big pouty lips, and those eyes....

Anonymous said...

I won't be voting for Dan O'Malley. This just shows me what an idiot he is. "But really what I want to do is direct." har har Hollywood O'Malley

Beau Hunk said...

If this posting stays up much longer, O'Malley will need a haircut...

Anonymous said...

Ironic, eh? Particularly since police reports do exist that report one of her lawyers was quite possibly a domestic abuser and now jumps on the victims rights bandwagon. How stupid of O'Malley to jump on this bandwagon.