Date set for ruling in Geragos accusation

CHICO — Whether Scott Peterson's lawyer breached a contract with a consultant in the double-murder case might be decided Feb. 28, a judge said Thursday.

That will be three days after another judge is scheduled to sentence Peterson, the 32-year-old Modestan convicted last month of murdering his wife and unborn child two years ago.

Nationally recognized trial consultant Edward J. Bronson said he missed out on work as an ABC commentator on the Peterson case because celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos had hired him with a verbal agreement.

When Geragos opted for another expert, Bronson said, he failed to notify Bronson.

So Bronson has sued Geragos for $5,000 in small-claims court.

Raffi Naljian, a paralegal with Geragos' Los Angeles law firm, said Thursday that Bronson had "insinuated himself into the case" without a contract.

"There were many people trying to get in the case," Naljian said. "I don't mean to disrespect the man, but we've seen nothing from him. We have no idea who he is."

That should be easy to disprove, Bronson said. He kept copies of documents exchanged with the firm, including letters, pretrial motions and court orders.

Butte County Superior Court Judge Pro Tem John Zorbas agreed that contracts between attorneys and consultants don't have to be written to be valid.

Naljian said Geragos might have asked Bronson, a venue-change expert, not to speak with reporters because a judge had muzzled trial participants with a gag order.

After Thursday's hearing, Bronson said that argument could work in his favor because it proves he was working for Geragos. Otherwise, Geragos violated the gag order by sending him documents related to the case, Bronson reasoned.

Naljian also contended that Bronson's lawsuit should not be tried in Butte County. The judge, a local lawyer presiding over the small-claims case for the day, said he would rule Jan. 28 on that part of the dispute.

Bronson, who has worked on more than 50 cases, including the Unabomber case, the Oklahoma City bombing and the San Francisco dog-mauling murder, eventually commented on the Peterson case to newspapers, including The Bee.

Bee staff writer Garth Stapley can be reached at 578-2390 or gstapley@modbee.com.