My Brush with Fame

I see that Robert Shapiro is in the news again, intimating that O.J. was not an angel after all. Pardon the shocked expression on my face, but some news just hits you from left field.

Hearing Ol' Bob talk about his client and his assessment of the case reminds me of my one brush with the famous Mr. Shapiro long, long ago in Southern California, when I was a solo practitioner making my way on the mean streets of Canoga Park. A potential client came to talk to me about an assault and "hate crime" case he wanted to go to jury trial on. He resented the implication that he had racial animus, just because he and a woman (who was the same race as he but who married interracially) were at odds with one another. After looking at the case, I agreed that it bore some investigation.

"I have Robert Shapiro as an attorney," he said. "My dad hired him for me." I was so green behind the ears that I didn't know who Robert Shapiro was. This was in 1993, while we still thought of O.J. as the guy in the Hertz commercials and "Naked Gun" movies.

I went to court for the client and met Mr. Shapiro to pick up the discovery. He looked at me sideways, my $100 suit and my slightly polished shoes. He, of course, was immaculately dressed and smelled of a French millenry shop.

"I've worked out a good deal for this kid," he said. "He can plead to disturbing the peace and a fine." That was a good deal. Even though the charges the kid presently faced were only misdemeanors, Shapiro had convinced the DA to reduce them further to infractions. I learned later that Shapiro's legendary strength in court was negotiating a brilliant deal that no one else could.

"I know," I said of the deal, "the client told me. But he says he wants a trial."

Shapiro shook his head ruefully, whether at my client or myself I'll never know.

"Here," he said, handing me the file. "Go ahead. But he really should take the deal. He's going to lose this case, and badly."

You can imagine that I, barely six years out of law school, had some misgivings when an experienced attorney says such a thing. Nonetheless, I had been hired to try the case, and try the case we did.

After a two week extravaganza in the San Fernando Valley Superior Court...we won. In fact, the jury came back within an hour. The evidence, they said, was way too flimsy and the complaining witness was highly unreliable.

After Shaprio was hired by O.J., I sent him a little letter reminding him of our brief encounter and offering my services. Instead, he hired that hack Johnny Cochran. Who ever heard of that guy?