Rebecca Grossman awaits sentencing after fatally running over the Iskander brothers in a tragic crosswalk incident.
Speeding down a residential street in a race against her former Major League Baseball player boyfriend, Los Angeles socialite Rebecca Grossman had drugs and alcohol in her system when she struck and killed two children in Westlake Village, California. Nancy Iskander, a California biotech executive and mother of the victims, narrowly saved her third child by diving out of harm’s way.
After a high-profile murder trial that concluded in February, jurors found the 60-year-old Grossman guilty of killing 8-year-old Jacob Iskander and his 11-year-old brother, Mark, in the 2020 crash. She faces up to 34 years in prison, but this sentence is now threatened by alleged corruption and incompetence within the office of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon.
Critics argue that Grossman’s conviction is at risk due to potential conflicts of interest involving Gascon’s former aide, Diana Teran. Teran, who indirectly supervised the prosecution, is now represented by the exact defense attorney as Grossman. Nathan Hochman, a former federal prosecutor and Gascon’s challenger in the upcoming election called this situation “insane.”
“You’ve created a conflict of interest in the middle of your case, which is insane,” Hochman said. “You just got a conviction for a woman who killed two kids. And you’re going to jeopardize that? Shame on you, Diana Teran.”
Hochman warned that this scandal could lead to appeals in numerous other cases prosecuted under Teran’s supervision. “That’s the magnitude of what we’re dealing with,” he said. “I view Gascon’s incompetence at the catastrophic level.”
Last month, state prosecutors announced 11 felony charges against Teran. She had previously headed the ethics and integrity unit in the DA’s office and was at the top of the chain of command overseeing Grossman’s prosecution. In March, Teran’s attorney, James Spertus, joined Grossman’s defense to manage post-conviction matters.
“Every single defendant who ever had a case where Diana Teran was a supervisor is now going to file a new trial motion based on her own prosecutorial misconduct,” Hochman asserted.
Most prosecutors would have identified the potential conflict immediately, Hochman added, likely leading a judge to prevent Spertus from joining Grossman’s defense. However, the trial prosecutors were unaware of the issue until Spertus’ name surfaced in news coverage of Teran’s arrest.
Gascon’s office has declined to specify when it first knew of the charges against Teran. A law enforcement source previously told Fox News Digital that the case had been referred to the state attorney general’s office due to a conflict of interest, indicating that DA’s office leaders were aware of the investigation long before charges were filed.
“Literally, he never defended or personally prosecuted a case in his entire life,” Hochman said of Gascon. “He’s probably woefully unqualified to understand dealing with conflicts, and he clearly must have relied on Diana Teran to assess these conflicts, where she is incredibly biased in making decisions.”
Gascon’s office has faced criticism for its handling of the Grossman case and other high-profile prosecutions. “Already Gascon has an anti-victim perspective on how he deals with stuff,” Hochman said. “But now he’s adding a level of incompetence that would endanger any conviction the DA’s office gets.”
After line prosecutors sought to have Spertus removed from Grossman’s case due to the conflict, their supervisor, Garrett Dameron, said they were unexpectedly removed from the case last Friday. “Friday morning, I was told through my chain of command that the three of us were off the case,” Dameron told Fox News Digital.
In an email to his boss, Gascon’s Chief Deputy DA Joseph Iniguez, Dameron called the prosecutors’ removal “unbelievable, unprofessional, and unwarranted.” He detailed the immense effort prosecutors Ryan Gould and Jamie Castro put into the case, sacrificing personal time and working tirelessly to secure Grossman’s conviction.
Teran allegedly played a limited role until March when she allegedly blocked investigators from interviewing a new witness as allegations surfaced that Grossman was attempting to tamper with jurors from jail. This scandal has caught the victims’ mother, Nancy Iskander, by surprise. She credited public support for recent changes in the case’s handling.
Julie Cohen, a close friend of the Iskanders, echoed concerns about Spertus’ involvement. “Spertus is the conflict; that’s how the family feels,” Cohen said. “What did she tell him? Not only does he know and socialize with the judge, he’s also had a professional relationship with Teran since 2019.”
Iniguez assured Fox News Digital that lead prosecutors Gould and Castro would continue assisting with the case, now under the Major Crimes Division, where Teran had no involvement. “The People v. Grossman matter was re-assigned to the Assistant Head Deputy of the elite Major Crimes Division, Habib Balian,” Iniguez said in a statement.
Despite assurances, Dameron expressed doubts about the re-assignment’s transparency and timing. “That’s not what I was told on Friday,” he said. “I understand that they are saying this now that the victims’ family has spoken out.”
While some fear Spertus’ involvement could lead to appeals for Grossman and other defendants, Dameron believes the timing minimizes potential damage. “Thank God all of this is happening after the verdict,” he said.
Teran faces an 11-count felony indictment for allegedly stealing and misusing confidential information on Los Angeles deputies. Gascon’s office maintains it is cooperating with the state attorney general’s office on the case.
Grossman is due back in court on Friday. Spertus stated that he will contest Grossman’s conviction and seek a new trial unless the DA’s office articulates any potential conflict before a judge. Teran’s attorney previously expressed confidence in her ability to overcome the state’s charges against her.
