Geragos’ Spiraling Downfall and The Jury’s Findings
In a packed Los Angeles courtroom, after days of high-stakes testimony, including from Geragos himself, jurors issued their verdict. While Geragos was not Franklin’s official attorney of record during the relevant periods alleged in the complaint (that role belonged to Avenatti), the jury nonetheless found Geragos:
- Had a role in the 2018 Nike extortion scheme
- Aided and abetted Avenatti, knowingly assisting wrongful conduct
- Breached his duties as a lawyer
Crucially, the jury stopped short of finding that Geragos defrauded or actively concealed information from Franklin, and concluded that Franklin suffered no direct harm from Geragos. But the recent finding that Geragos aided and abetted Avenatti in the extortion scheme, and knowingly assisted in wrongful conduct, reverberates far beyond the dollar amount of the verdict.
As Franklin’s attorney, Trent Copeland, noted, “There’s no spinning what this jury decided. Geragos may have avoided criminal charges, but a civil jury found him liable after concluding he owed our client a fiduciary duty and knowingly assisted Michael Avenatti in carrying out misconduct.”
