Powerhouse Robin Sax

BEVERLY HILLS—This week in the Hills, I caught up with two of our region’s most famed and distinguished attorneys to talk about three of the biggest cases currently in the national media. Both Robin Sax and Gloria Allred are seen daily on television, and their expertise and comments are seen and heard around the world. It’s always good to know these two fighting women are in our neighborhood and also friends I can call on whenever they are involved in big cases.

Robin Sax appears regularly on CNN, HLN’s “Nancy Grace,” “Issues With Jane Velez Mitchell,” and, just this week, on “Entertainment Tonight” commentating about the situation involving Arnold Schwarzenegger and his alleged love child with a former maid.

When I caught up with the advocate’s attorney earlier in the week, we discussed two national cases in the news which she is now involved in as legal counsel. Sax filed a lawsuit last week against a private school in Naples, Florida where an alleged victim was reportedly sexually molested by a teacher and the school is accused of doing nothing to help the girl. “A nine year old little girl who was touched inappropriately by her homeroom teacher reported it, and the police dropped the ball when the teacher refused to cooperate. The parents are really amazing and brave. They are standing up for their little girl in the way every parent should,” said Sax. “I received a call from the girl's dad. They did not want to go to lawyers. It was really a call of last resort. They were hopeful that the school was going to do the right thing. Even if the guy was not going to get fired they were mortified, that no efforts were made to make sure this 9 year old could continue school. The school did not only follow best practices with regards to child sexual assault allegations they didn't even follow their own internal policies. The goal when this family came to me was about making sure that someone stood up for their daughter and to make sure this wasn't brushed under the rug. If this family could be victimized any family can.”

With all the media attention, one would believe the authorities and school officials would have never ceased the investigation until it was completed. “Tommy, its unbelievable in this day and age for a school to act as they did. On so many levels, the actions of this school have turned a bad situation to a worse situation. If the school did the right thing from beginning these parents would not need me,” said Robin.

Another national case this Beverly Hills based attorney is spearheading is for the Long Island murder victims’ families. Over the past few months several women’s bodies have been found alongside a beach in New York. “We have not decided what legal recourse we are taking yet but what I do know is that these families of the deceased have rights as they are the surviving victims. They are entitled to information and updates from the authorities. There are many missteps and potentially many people where lawsuits would be appropriate but for now we are all about answers,” the attorney stated.

Robin added, “If it wasn’t for the families and the work of the advocates putting pressure on the police vis-à-vis the media, the authorities never would have done anything. Because of Shannan Gilbert, the other victims have been found. But yet Shannan is still missing.”

Gloria Allred, Icon

For everything you want to know about this exciting and sad case go to Findshannangilbert.com. “There is no doubt that the police thought very little of this population. They clearly thought that they were either not worthy of hard police work or simply though they could get away with being lazy as they assumed no one would care enough about them to even bother taking an interest in the case. There are only two answers for what has gone on this case, either full on ignorance/incompetence or serious corruption. Either way its not good,” concluded attorney Robin Sax.

Another major international player in the legal field is victim’s advocate attorney Gloria Allred, whose current client is Gigi Goyette, a former child actress. Goyette appeared on “Little House on the Prairie,” and this week the actress made claims that she had an affair with actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger during the time that he was married to Maria Shriver. Goyette said in a statement to Shriver, “I am very sorry for the mistakes I made in the past and for being intimate with your husband, and I would hope that you would forgive me for that.”

Schwarzenegger’s attorney Marty Singer stated that Goyette is just trying to make money off the allegations. Goyette's famed attorney Allred said her client made the statements in order to set the record straight about the nature of her relationship with Arnold. She added, the relationship began when her client was 17 years of age, and continued, with extended hiatuses, until 2000 or 2001.

Tommy Lightfoot Garrett, Columnist

My dear friend and co-star Eileen Fulton, who starred as Lisa Mitchell on the CBS soap “As The World Turns” from 1960 until 2010, and who guest starred on my classic movies TV series “Hollywood Classics” called this week to remind me that she’ll be appearing on Sunday, June 5 at 3 p.m. at The Rrazz Room, 222 Mason St. in San Francisco to perform her new cabaret act “Blame It On My Youth.” Eileen is an incredible actress and cabaret performer, and if you want to see her show you can make reservations at Therrazzroom.com or call 800-380-3095. I hope to see you there!

Photographs are Courtesy: Robin Sax and Gloria Allred from their personal collections and Tommy Lightfoot Garrett by Rachel Zahumensky for Inbar Television Productions