A California judge declined to revoke phone privileges for a Los Angeles-area socialite who was convicted in February of running over two young brothers and killing them while speeding through an intersection in 2020.
Superior Court Judge Joseph A. Brandolino cited what he called Rebecca Grossman’s “naivete” in demanding that her husband and daughter release videos that are under seal and other conversations that prosecutors said amounted to “various attempts to interfere with witnesses and their testimony and attempts to influence (the judge) in regards to sentencing and motions for a new trial,” the Los Angeles Daily News said.
“I’m not going to restrict any of her privileges,” the judge said, although he did warn the 60-year-old that he could change his mind if he determines that she is tampering with witnesses.
“I think there’s a lot of naivete going on here by the defendant,” Bandolino said said. “She’s upset and she’s naive … She’s entitled to her beliefs.”
Deputy District Attorneys Jamie Castro disagreed, noting that she and her plastic surgeon husband are paying for 10 defense attorneys to advise her.
“She should know better, your honor,” Castro said.
Grossman was found guilty of second-degree murder and other crimes on February 23 and is now scheduled to be sentenced on June 10 — a two month delay from the original sentencing date while her attorneys seek a new trial. A hearing on that request is set for June 3.
Grossman has been behind bars since a jury convicted her of killing 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his brother, 8-year-old Jacob Iskander, as they crossed an intersection with their family on September 29, 2020, as CrimeOnline reported. Grossman had been out drinking with her lover, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson, and they were in separate cars driving to another location when she slammed into the boys, then kept driving until her vehicle shut down and would not start again.
She has insisted that Erickson hit the children, and in one of the phone calls cited by prosecutors, demanded that her husband”call Scott Erickson and tell him to get on a video and that he needs to confess … I have a family,” the Daily News said.
“I know he needs to confess, but right now, I can’t even talk about the case, but that guy needs to … you’re in jail for him, and it drives me crazy,” Peter Grossman told his wife before saying they “have to stop talking about the case on the recorded line” from county jail.
Erickson was not called to testify in Grossman’s trial by either prosecutors or the defense.
The phone call about Erickson came two days after Grossman’s conviction. The prosecutors cited other phone calls made between February 23 and 25 in their request to revoke her phone privileges. In particular, she told her daughter to “unblock the videos” and “put everything out,” referring to videos that are under seal.
Her attorney argued that she thought the videos could be released now that the trial was over, but Brandolino told her that the order sealing the videos “still remains in place.” He said if any of the material is released, it could result in the revocation of her privileges and monetary sanctions and a report to the California bar against her attorneys.
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[Featured image: Mark and Jacob Iskander/Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church of Ventura County; Inset: Rebecca Grossman/Grossman Burn Foundation]
