Leslie Abramson
Leslie Abramson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leslie Hope Abramson October 6, 1943 |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Spouse | Tim Rutten div. |
| Children | 2 |
Leslie Hope Abramson (born October 6, 1943) is an American criminal defense attorney best known for her role in the legal defense of Lyle and Erik Menéndez.[1] She is also a published author.[2]
Education
Born in
Career
Early career
In 1970, Abramson was admitted to the
In 1988, Abramson was able to obtain a verdict of manslaughter with a sentence of probation, rather than murder, for 17-year old Arnel Salvatierra, who had killed his father. Abramson argued that the father had been abusive.[5][1] In 1990, Abramson won the acquittal of Dr. Khalid Parwez, "a Pakistani-born gynecologist accused of strangling and dismembering his 11-year-old son",[1] presenting an alibi for Parwez, and arguing that Parwez's brother, who had returned to Pakistan, was the likely culprit.[4]
The Menéndez trial
Abramson gained national attention in the early 1990s, when she represented Erik Menéndez in his trial for the murder of his parents, again presenting parental abuse as the defense for the crime alleged.
Post-Menéndez career
In 1997, Abramson published a book, The Defense Is Ready: Life in the Trenches of Criminal Law.[1] In 2004, she was hired by Phil Spector, who was charged with fatally shooting actress Lana Clarkson at his suburban Alhambra, California mansion, replacing his former attorney, Robert Shapiro.[9] She resigned from representing Spector over conflicts between them; he went on to be convicted of murder, under different counsel.[1]
In popular culture
In 1993, while the trial was still ongoing, she was parodied on Saturday Night Live, where she was portrayed by Julia Sweeney, along with John Malkovich and Rob Schneider as Lyle and Erik Menéndez.[1] Sweeney portrayed Abramson again the following year as a talk show host defending the actions of Tonya Harding (played by Melanie Hutsell) and Slobodan Milošević (played by Patrick Stewart).
In the 1994 television film Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills, Abramson is portrayed by Margaret Whitton.
In 2017,
Personal life
Abramson was married to a pharmacist whom she divorced in 1969, with whom she had a daughter, Laine.[1] She married Los Angeles Times reporter Tim Rutten, and the couple adopted a son.[1] Rutten died in September 2022 after suffering a fall in his Alhambra, California home. Abramson and Rutten were divorced at the time of Rutten's death, although the two remained close.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Dangremond, Sam (August 31, 2017). "12 Things You Should Know About Leslie Abramson, the Menendez Brothers' Attorney". Town & Country.
- ^ Dangremond, Sam (2017-08-31). "Meet the Real Leslie Abramson". Town & Country. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
- ^ "All-Alumni Weekend 2007". UCLA School of Law. 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-17.
- ^ a b c d e John R. Vile, Great American Lawyers: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1 (2001), p. 287.
- ^ Washington Post.
- ^ a b "Counsel In The Hot Seat: Did Leslie Abramson Commit A Legal Sin?". Newsweek. April 22, 1996. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ "Menendez Lawyer Won't Face Investigation". The New York Times. October 12, 1997. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
- ^ "The Aftermath". Crime Library. 2008. Archived from the original on 2007-05-06. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ "Phil Spector replaces lawyer, hires Leslie Abramson to defend him". CNN. February 3, 2004. Archived from the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-17.
- ^ Petski, Denise (3 February 2017). "'Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders': Edie Falco To Play Leslie Abramson In NBC Drama Series".
- ^ "70th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 12 July 2018.