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Criminal Defense Attorney Committed Suicide Outside a Park in Brentwood
Photo by Olivier Le Queinec via Shutterstock
A prominent local criminal defense attorney took her own life inside a car at a Brentwood park.The lawyer Gigi Gordon, 54, had been struggling with multiple sclerosis for over a decade, the Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported.
"Her brain 'broke' about a year ago," her ex-husband Andrew Stein told the Daily Journal (which isn't available online but LA Observed posted an excerpt). "[She] couldn't read; couldn't write. For her, that was what life was all about. We got the best medical care that could be obtained, but it wasn't enough."
Most recently, Gordon was the directing attorney of the Post Conviction Assistance Center. During her three decades in law, she helped to expose the LAPD's practice of using false testimony by jailhouse informants in the 1980s, she assisted with the investigation of the Rampart Scandal and tried over 20 capital capital cases. Services are pending, and Stein asked that any donations be made to the National Multiples Sclerosis Society in her name.
This is the second high-profile suicide of an attorney in recent months. Last November a deputy district attorney in San Diego county committed suicide in front of a police officer.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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