By now, just about everyone has heard about the domestic violence allegations against Mel Gibson. A recent People Magazine story includes insight from several legal professionals, including Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, Steve Sitkoff, regarding what is at stake in this criminal investigation amidst a heated child custody battle.
When asked if the leaked tapes allegedly of Mel Gibson and ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, will be admissible in court, Mr. Sitkoff stated, “In general, it’s illegal to tape someone without their knowledge but it’s sometimes allowed in domestic violence situations.” However, Mr. Sitkoff makes the important point that the law in that regard is not always so apparent due to a substantial amount of gray area. Mr. Sitkoff continues, stating, “If the tapes are deemed illegal, they won’t exist to a jury. The motive of the taping appears suspect; Oksana is extremely calm and appears to be provoking him. And if Mel was under the influence while making his threats, that would make it even harder to prove criminal intent.”
In addition to Mr. Sitkoff’s contribution to readers’ understanding of the legality of evidence in the Mel Gibson domestic violence case, other matters covered in the article relate to potential jail time for Mr. Gibson, extortion charges against Oksana, the court’s denial of Oksana’s request for all of Gibson’s custody rights to be taken away, and the question of the tapes’ authenticity.
Steve Sitkoff is a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles and partner of the California criminal defense law firm of Sitkoff & Hanrahan. For more information about the successes of Mr. Sitkoff and the firm in defending the rights of individuals accused of domestic violence and other criminal offenses, please visit www.formerdistrictattorneys.com.