@meghannmcuniff: Rebecca and Peter Grossman's lawyer told jurors in her closing argument today that they "heard phone calls" and "some of those things you heard were not very nice." "But this trial and this phase of the trial is about the conduct at the time of the accident," said Esther Holm, a partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP in Costa Mesa. "I hope that you stay focused on that, because it's not about what happens years later, it's not about people talking about what happened, it's about the actual conduct at the time, this, and it's also not about opinion. So, Dr. Grossman has his opinions, he's certainly entitled to those. You don't have to agree with those. I know you don't agree with those, and that is your prerogative. That's the jury system. You're supposed to come in here and say what it is you feel," Holm said. Holm said the jury's $176 million verdict for compensatory damages "sent a message." "It tells us what you're thinking," she said. Grossman, 62, is serving 15 years to life in prison after a jury in February 2024 convicted her of two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and one count of hit and run driving resulting in death or serious injury. An appellate panel affirmed her convictions in a 143-page opinion published on March 17. Prosecutors dismissed a misdemeanor reckless driving charge against Grossman's former boyfriend Scott Erickson, who was speeding near her and, according to witnesses, racing her, after he recorded a public service announcement with Grossman's help. Peter Grossman is a defendant because his wife's SUV was registered in his name. The prominent plastic surgeon was a key witness in the punitive damages phase of the trial because the Iskanders' lawyer Brian Panish alleges he worked with his wife to shield her assets. You can watch Holm's entire 27-minute argument and the other arguments on my YouTube channel. #law #court #legal

Meghann Cuniff

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Tuesday 09 June 2026 22:56:46 GMT