BREAKING NEWS Erika Jayne's ex Tom Girardi, 86, reports to prison to begin 7-year sentence amid dementia battle
The 86-year-old disbarred trial attorney, who was once one of the most powerful figures in California 's legal world, became inmate 43156-510 after surrendering Thursday to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, per Page Six.
The attorney — whose Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star ex filed for divorce in 2020 after 21 years of marriage — was indicted in February 2023 for embezzling more than $15 million from his own clients at Girardi Keese.
He pleaded not guilty to five counts of wire fraud but was convicted earlier this year.
His legal team had tried to keep him out of prison, arguing that Girardi, who was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's and dementia, should serve his sentence at a long-term care facility instead — but the request was denied.
Now, it remains unclear how the prison system will handle Girardi's cognitive decline during his seven-year sentence.
Determining the right facility for an inmate with mental or physical health issues can take weeks or even months, and officials declined to say where Girardi might ultimately be placed, per LA Times.
Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes he's being punished for.
'For Tom Girardi, there can be no meaningful punishment,' Deputy Federal Public Defender Samuel Cross said at his sentencing hearing in June.
But U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton wasn't swayed, citing expert evaluations that concluded Girardi still had the cognitive ability to function independently in day-to-day life.
'He currently retains his independence as to his activities of daily living,' she said, ruling that prison was the appropriate consequence.
Girardi's mental health has been the subject of fierce debate since 2020, when his law empire collapsed amid accusations of financial misconduct.
A Long Beach psychiatrist diagnosed him with Alzheimer's, prompting his brother to place him under a conservatorship — but prosecutors suspected Girardi was faking the extent of his decline.
Even federal neuropsychologist Dr. Tracy O'Connor Pennuto, who evaluated Girardi during a six-week stint at Butner prison hospital, determined that while he wasn't malingering, he did suffer from 'moderately advanced dementia' with signs of Alzheimer's.
Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes he's being punished for
She testified that his long-term memory remained mostly intact, but his short-term recall was impaired.
'He will not improve,' Pennuto warned. 'He will continue to decline over time.'
Girardi was accused of stealing settlement funds from numerous clients, including families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash, and using the money to bankroll his and Jayne's opulent lifestyle.
While his crimes have left deep scars, Jayne has been largely cleared of any involvement and was dismissed from related lawsuits.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 54, has since moved on romantically and is now dating retired U.S. Army Special Ops agent John 'Shrek' McPhee — though her divorce from Girardi has yet to be finalized.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BMW driver, 23, accused of mowing down four sorority sisters in horror Malibu crash hires hot-shot defense lawyer for murder trial
The young BMW driver accused of mowing down and killing four sorority sisters in a horrific Malibu car crash pleaded not guilty as he appeared in court with his new hot-shot defense attorney Wednesday. Fraser Bohm, 23, was arraigned on murder and vehicular manslaughter charges in connection with the October 2023 deaths of Pepperdine University students Asha Weir, Peyton Stewart, Deslyn Williams, all 21, and 20-year-old Niamh Rolston. Dressed in a dark gray suit and tie, he did not speak as his new lawyer, Alan Jackson, entered the not-guilty pleas to four counts each of charge on his behalf at a courthouse in Van Nuys, California. The hearing lasted only a few minutes, during which Judge Thomas Rubinson granted the defense's request for a postponement to September 5. Wednesday's arraignment follows a delay granted last month, when newly-hired Jackson requested a continuance. Outside the courtroom, Jackson explained that he plans to raise 'several issues' at the next hearing, including filing a motion to reduce Bohm's $4million bail package that was granted after his arrest in 2023. Asked when he expects Bohm's jury trial to start, the renowned lawyer told Daily Mail: 'The prosecution has a head start on us and we have a lot of work to do to catch up. So I can't see trial starting before the end of 2025.' The prominent criminal defense attorney, who replaces Bohm's original lawyer Michael Kraut, is a former LA County Assistant District Attorney who prosecuted several high-profile cases, including the murder conviction of music producer Phil Spector. Since going into private practice, he's made a name for himself as a top defense attorney. Most recently, he successfully got murder suspect Karen Read acquitted in the widely-covered trial related to the death of Boston Police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe. All four of the young women killed in the Malibu crash were seniors at Pepperdine's Seaver College of Liberal Arts where they were members of the Alpha Phi Sorority. They were due to graduate with the class of 2024 and later were awarded their Pepperdine degrees posthumously. They died when Bohm – driving allegedly at 104mph – crashed into three parked vehicles in the parking lane next to where the girls were walking after getting out of a car on PCH where the speed limit is 45mph. 'They were killed because of the driving of the defendant,' Deputy District Attorney Nathan Bartos told an April preliminary hearing where Bohm was ordered to stand trial. Bartos pointed out that data retrieved from the 'black box' in the BMW showed that the vehicle accelerated from 93mph to 104mph just two and a half seconds before the crash. 'He consciously decided to get that vehicle up to the speed of 104 miles an hour,' the prosecutor added. 'And he lost control of his vehicle….. This was not an accident.' Peyton Stewart (left) and Asha Weir were members of Alpha Phi at Pepperdine University - and were pronounced dead alongside their two friends at the scene Bohm – who lives in Malibu – has maintained that the deadly crash was an accident that happened when 'some guy' in a white car swerved into his lane, hitting his driver's side mirror, causing him to slam into the three parked cars. And his then defense attorney, Kraut, argued that at the time of the crash, Bohm was being 'chased in a road-rage incident'. But LA Sheriff's investigators said they found 'no evidence of an alleged road-rage incident.' At the preliminary hearing, Kraut called Bohm a 'kid', emphasizing that the fatal pile-up occurred on the day after his 22nd birthday and there was 'no evidence of a past history of any driving violations or a parking violation.' The deadly crash sparked outrage from Malibu residents who have for years been calling for safety improvements to this stretch of PCH between Carbon Canyon and Las Flores Canyon where 53 deaths and 92 serious injuries between 2013 and 2023 earned it the nickname 'Dead Man's Curve.' On the one-year anniversary of the girls' deaths, Malibu officials met to discuss ways to improve safety and creating a California Highway Patrol Task Force to crack down on speeders and traffic offenders on PCH And recently, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new bill authorizing the installation of speed cameras on a 21-mile stretch of PCH all the way through the ritzy, celebrity-filled enclave. The city has also been considering an even more ambitious plan that would completely redesign PCH, 'transforming it from a high speed highway into a safer, community-focused corridor, providing safe access for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.' Such safety measures come too late for the grieving parents of the victims. They have all brought wrongful death lawsuits against Bohm and are also suing the State of California, LA County, the City of Malibu and the California Coastal Commission, alleging dangerous road design on PCH and lack of safety standards. Bohm, whose father Chris is an executive at a medical equipment manufacturer, had appeared in court for his arraignment hearing last month – his first court date since he was ordered to stand trial after a three-day preliminary trial in late April. The former high school athlete, however, did not enter an official plea after his lawyer requested more time. Daily Mail previously revealed that Bohm had received the luxury vehicle in his parents' divorce settlement on his 18th birthday. The red 2016 BMW was purchased by Bohm's mother Brooke using a down payment of $25,000 in 2017 – with the remaining installments paid by his dad Chris. The divorce settlement also revealed details of his family's lavish lifestyle – including the secluded $8.7 million Malibu gated estate Bohm's mother ended up with in the divorce. His BMW slammed into parked vehicles while the college seniors stood nearby – striking them as well. All four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while Bohm was uninjured. Following the crash, as ambulances took the women's dead bodies from the scene, Bohm was seen sitting on a ledge, bowing his head, next to emergency personnel. According to witnesses, he had attempted to flee the scene and had to be 'tackled down' and stopped by students from the nearby Pepperdine Sigma Chi fraternity. Officials said there was a fraternity party being held in the area, and that the victims had been planning to meet up with others at the time of the tragedy. Niamh, Asha, and Peyton all lived together in college, their social media pages suggested.
Daily Mail
29 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Woke Seattle lawmaker leaps ahead in election battle despite claims she's a massive bully
A left-winged Seattle councilwoman has taken the lead in initial primary election polls despite a history of bullying allegations, which she denies. Carmen Rivera, who was appointed as Renton's first openly queer councilmember in 2021, is headed for November's general election, where she will run for her position once again. While official results from Tuesday's primary have not been released, unofficial stats from Kings County show Rivera ahead of her two opponents with about 44 percent of the vote. Washington is a mail-in ballot state and the final verdict will be announced on August 19, but the last day to vote was Tuesday. The top two candidates for each seat advance to the general election. 'Looking at the numbers, I'd be very surprised if Rivera did not make it to the general election,' King County Elections Communications Manager Halei Watkins told the Daily Mail. Watkins did note there are 'still a lot of ballots to count,' but it is likely Rivera will at the very least remain in the top two. Rivera's candidacy has been shrouded in controversy, with accusers coming forward with unflattering anecdotes about the allegedly short-fused politician. The progressive lawmaker's controversies trace back to October 2021, just before she was elected to the city council. She worked as a volunteer security guard at a Seattle Pride concert, where some performers claimed she was wildly disrespectful in a letter to event leadership. The note asserted that Rivera worked in a manner that was 'hostile, confrontational, and bordering harassment' while guarding the backstage area. The artists collection alleged that Rivera ignored several of the performers and even tried to block some of them from entering the backstage area. 'Security ran towards and physically blocked a black trans woman from one of our performers' houses who was being walked into the backstage area by a collective member, yelling at her that she could not be there,' the letter alleged. Rivera also allegedly threatened to kick people who had taken down their face masks just to eat or drink out of the event, according to the affected artists. At the same Pride event a year later, the then-director Krystal Marx said an employee made similar claims against Rivera. Rivera was serving on the event's board and has fiercely denied these claims to Axios Seattle. She then left the board, blaming Marx's 'unprofessional behavior.' Marx was let go about a month after Rivera left, but said Rivera's claim was false. About a year into her council tenure, Rivera found herself at the center of a claim of vicious behavior documented in a letter written to police. Renton City Councilmember Kim-Khán Văn contacted local authorities about Rivera in a jaw-dropping email from December 2022. Văn described a year's worth of 'harassment and bullying' inflicted by her colleague Rivera. In light of the police report resurfacing, Rivera's partner, Jas Maisonet, spoke out on her behalf on Facebook She was requesting video footage from an event because she was 'harassed and verbally attacked by sitting Councilmember Carmen Rivera in public again.' Văn notified police, but did not file an official report. Afterwards she told the city's human resources department about her alleged run-ins with Rivera. Văn later claimed to Axios that Rivera got up in her face and started cursing at her during the event for several minutes straight. A month prior to the heated encounter Văn claimed Rivera tried physically stopping her from entering a meeting by placing herself between Văn and the door. Rivera fiercely disputed these accusations, telling Axios she 'was not yelling at her' and 'definitely did not curse at her.' In response to Văn's concerns, Renton Mayor Armondo Pavone issued a notice to the city council in January 2023. 'Councilmembers are not administrative employees subject to my supervision or control as the Mayor,' Pavone wrote. 'Currently, the Council has no formal process for receiving and addressing complaints of personal conflicts between councilmembers.' While admitting he could not intervene, he suggested adapting conduct codes regarding councilmember behavior. Aside from Văn, Axios reported other anonymous witnesses confessed to having similar experiences with Rivera. But Rivera claimed all of these accusations are baseless and at least one of the people who came forward had actually been bullying her - not the other way around. Her campaign consultant, Michael Charles, told Axios the accusations were 'politically motivated retaliation for her support of progressive policies. Concerns about Rivera have been raised as recently as June, with Winter Cashman, a King county candidate for the Public Hospital Commission, writing a bombshell letter to the editor in the Renton Reporter. 'When Carmen Rivera first ran for Renton City Council, I supported her. I believed in the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in our local government, and I hoped she'd bring both lived experience and a collaborative spirit to the role,' he began. 'But since that time, I've seen a continued pattern that's hard to ignore — and I can't support her re-election.' Cashman claimed Rivera 'escalated tensions' between candidates and had even accused people who supported her of 'undermining' her. He also claimed she once said 'all straight people are transphobic' and called him 'a little sh*t.' Rivera told the Daily Mail Cashman's claims 'came out of nowhere' and she had no previous relationship with him. 'I would say they are targeted, political attacks,' she continued. 'Including false claims and unverified complaints rooted in distortion.' Allegations of Rivera's outbursts began long before her political debut, according court records. In 2016, she was arrested and charged with malicious mischief in the third-degree domestic violence following a fight with her ex. Her ex claimed she was in the car when Rivera started kicking in and tore off one of its mirrors. She told Axios she was 'not in the best place personally at the time.' The case was eventually dismissed, the outlet reported. In light of the police report resurfacing, Rivera's current partner, Jas Maisonet, spoke out on her behalf on Facebook. 'Recently, and conveniently timed, a decade old, resolved police report was dragged up and used as a weapon,' Maisonet wrote. 'Behind every council seat is a real person. And behind that person is often a family that carries the emotional weight of public service quietly. 'Leadership isn't about being perfect; no one is. It's about showing up with integrity, listening, learning, and doing the work.' Rivera has used her social media platforms to promote her stances, as well as call out those who have spoken out against her. In a video from March, Rivera addressed 'right-wing basement bloggers' who decided to 'come after' her for supporting a trans Linwood City councilmember. Rivera claimed people calling her out were being transphobic and bigoted Although she is not explicitly named in the clip Rivera is likely speaking about Jessica Roberts, who came under fire around the same time when it became publicly known she was posting on Only Fans. Roberts admitted to the Lynnwood Times that she had made an Only Fans account to boost her self confidence while 'making a little cash on the side.' Soon after the news went public, she took down the account. She also allegedly had a Reddit account where she shared dark and explicit sexual content. Roberts resigned from her position amid the controversy. Rivera had voiced support for Roberts, calling a Lynwood Times report of Roberts' alleged online activity a 'grossly intentional misrepresentation of information.' She also said all the comments about Robert were 'ignorant and hateful.' 'When history looks back on these Nazi driven narratives, what will you say you did?' she wrote on X. Rivera told the Daily Mail she spoke out online because attacks on Roberts were 'rooted in ignorance and hatred.' 'Many women, including Jessica, have to deal with unfair standards and double standards. 'I would do that [speak out] for many women in the LGBTQI+ community in these positions who are being publicly filleted.' Rivera took the lead against her opponents for Council Position No 2, Mary Clymer, who accounted for roughly 29 percent of votes, and Raman Mann, who took about 26 percent. 'I'm really grateful that the voters can look past some of the distracting noise and see real leaders doing really good work,' Rivera told the Daily Mail. She and Clymer will compete for the seat in the general election in November, meaning there is still a chance she could be booted from her position. In Washington state, councilmembers do not run with political affiliations, although Rivera's stances are progressive.
Reuters
29 minutes ago
- Reuters
Five US soldiers shot at Georgia base, suspect a fellow soldier, official says
ATLANTA, Aug 6 (Reuters) - The man suspected of shooting and wounding five U.S. soldiers on Wednesday at the Fort Stewart base in the state of Georgia is also a U.S. soldier, a U.S. official told Reuters. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, was citing initial information and said it could change. The suspected gunman is in custody, and further details about his identity were not immediately available. Military officials were expected to hold a news briefing later on Wednesday. The soldiers were treated on site and then transported to Winn Army Community Hospital for further treatment, Fort Stewart said in a Facebook post. Authorities did not immediately provide further details on the condition of the victims. "There is no active threat to the community," the post said. Law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting in the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team area at 10:56 a.m. ET (1456 GMT), and the base was locked down shortly after 11:04 a.m. The suspect was arrested at 11:35 a.m., Fort Stewart said. Governor Brian Kemp wrote on X that he and his family were "saddened by today's tragedy" at the base. "We are keeping the victims, their families, and all those who answer the call to serve in our hearts and prayers, and we ask that Georgians everywhere do the same," he added. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting and is monitoring the situation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X. Mass shootings are relatively common in the U.S., where guns are widely available, and military bases, which are among the highest-security places in the country, have not been spared. The deadliest was at the Fort Hood Army base in 2009, when a major fatally shot unarmed soldiers in a medical building with a laser-sighted handgun, killing 13 people and injuring more than 30. Less than five years later, a soldier at the same Texas base fatally shot three service members and injured 16 others before killing himself. In 2013, an employee of a government defense contractor killed 12 people at Washington's Navy Yard. In 2019, a Saudi Air Force lieutenant shot and killed three people and wounded eight others at a U.S. Navy base in Pensacola, Florida. Fort Stewart is located in Hinesville, about 225 miles (362 km) southeast of Atlanta and 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Savannah. Nearly 9,000 people live at the base, according to the 2020 Census. The base supports approximately 15,000 active-duty Army military personnel, as well as thousands of military retirees, family members, and others, according to its website.
