Billionaire Bill Gross found Guilty, Given Jail Time, Assails Esteemed Judge
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Billionaire Bill Gross and his wife, Amy, were found guilty of contempt today by Judge Kimberly A. Knill of the Orange County Superior Court. The judge handed down the maximum possible sentence for both Bill and Amy—five days in jail and a $1,000 fine. "Mr. Gross is in treacherous territory; if he violates the judge's order again, he faces a year in jail," says Chase Scolnick, lead counsel for Keller/Anderle, a nationally-recognized trial law firm based in Irvine,
Scolnick and Jay Barron of Keller/Anderle LLP prosecuted the case against the Grosses. "We hope this will end the nightmare our clients have suffered at the hands of Grosses, but given his behavior today, that hope may be in vain," says Scolnick.
The dispute began last year when, in retaliation for Mr. Towfiq's informing the city of illegal structures Gross erected near the property line, the Grosses blasted an endless loop of music including the theme song from Gilligan's Island at the Towfiqs' house. That pattern of harassment led to a ten-day bench trial in November and December 2020. After hearing the evidence, the Court found the Grosses had abused the Towfiqs and issued a three-year restraining order against both Bill and Amy Gross. The Court also warned the Grosses that any further harassment would violate the restraining order.
The Grosses did not listen. On July 7, 2021, they were back at it, blasting music through professional, commercial grade speakers while Amy screeched off-tune at the top of her lungs (see video). The Grosses then failed to obey Laguna Beach police officers investigating the disturbance because they were "enjoying [them]selves." As pointed out by Scolnick, "The ridiculous justifications offered by the Grosses and their attorney, who even accused the Laguna Beach Police of anti-Semitism, were completely rejected by the Court."
During the current trial, the Court found Bill Gross's conduct to be "defiant and contemptuous" and Amy Gross's testimony "preposterous" and "lacking in credibility." Even the Grosses' own witness said [Mrs. Gross's] behavior was "obnoxious, like a petulant child." And Mr. Gross appeared to have instigated Mrs. Gross "by dancing along as she loudly proclaims ['We're outside, yes we are.'] Judge Knill's ruling prompted angry responses from Gross, who in a press release attacked the judge. Scolnick noted: "Gross still hasn't learned his lesson: instead of accepting responsibility, he attacked and vilified Judge Knill, who is widely regarded as an excellent and fair jurist."
Keller/Anderle LLP is among the premier boutique trial law firms in California, handling highly complex litigation of all types, including commercial, intellectual property, securities, bad faith, class actions, white collar criminal defense, entertainment/sports, legal malpractice and insurance recovery. The firm represents individuals, closely-held corporations, and some of the nation's largest corporations.
Contact: Kay Anderle
Managing Partner
Address: 18300 Von Karman Ave., Suite 930
Irvine, California 92612-1057
Ph. 949.476.8700
Fax 949.476.0900
[email protected]
www.kelleranderle.com
SOURCE Keller/Anderle LLP
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