Mark Geragos
Mark John Geragos (born October 5 1957) is a criminal defense attorney who has defended such people as pop-star Michael Jackson, actress Winona Ryder, Gary Condit, and Susan McDougal, who was allegedly involved in the Whitewater scandal. He also represented Scott Peterson, a fertilizer salesman who was convicted of first and second degree murder with special circumstances of his wife, Laci, and their unborn son Connor.
Background
Mark Geragos was born in in Los Angeles, California. He attended Haverford College and graduated with in 1979. He later attended Loyola Law School and graduated in 1982. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 1983. He later became managing partner in the firm Geragos & Geragos, a 12-person law firm in Los Angeles.
National prominence
Geragos first came to national attention with back to back State and Federal Court jury trial acquittals for Whitewater figure Susan McDougal, the former business partner of former President Bill Clinton. In early 2001, Geragos completed his representation of McDougal by securing a presidential pardon for Ms. McDougal.
Other famous clients
Geragos won dismissal of felony kidnapping, arson and criminal threats charges against hip-hop star Nathaniel Hale, whose stage name is Nate Dogg. He also won dismissal of all alcohol-related counts against Clinton's brother, Roger Clinton.
In December 2002, Geragos defended Academy award-nominated actress Winona Ryder on charges of stealing more than $5,500 worth of merchandise from a Beverly Hills, California, store in 2001. She was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to undergo psychological and drug counseling.
Geragos also was one of the lead lawyers in a pair of groundbreaking Federal Class Action Lawsuits against New York Life Insurance and AXA Corporation for insurance policies issued in the early 20th century during the time of the Turkish genocide of over 1.5 million Armenians. These two cases settled for over $37.5 million dollars in 2004 and 2005.
Geragos regularly appears as both guest and legal commentator on the Today Show, Good Morning America, Dateline NBC, Larry King Live, Greta Van Susteren’s On the Record, 60 Minutes and 48 Hours.
Awards
- 1999 - Trial Lawyer of The Year by the Los Angeles Criminal Courts Bar Association.
- 2005 - Statewide finalist for the Consumer Attorney of the Year by the Consumer Attorneys of California.