Cases Against Brockovich Associates Dropped

Prosecutors dropped all extortion charges Tuesday against the ex-husband and ex-boyfriend of movie heroine Erin Brockovich, but charged their former attorney with two counts of attempted extortion and conspiracy.

Attorney John Reiner, 52, pleaded not guilty to the charges while his two erstwhile clients--Shawn Brown, 38, Brockovich’s ex-husband, and Jorg Halaby, 46, her ex-boyfriend--were visibly relieved when the surprise decision was announced in court.

“I’m overwhelmed with happiness,” Brown said. “This situation happened so quickly it was like I got hit in the face with a sledgehammer. I knew I was innocent.”

The three men had been accused of trying to blackmail Brockovich and her boss, attorney Ed Masry, by promising not to reveal damaging information about her in exchange for $310,000.

Chief Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Frawley would not say why the charges were dropped but added that they could be refiled.

Frawley said prosectors had not cut a deal with Brown and Halaby to testify against Reiner.

The film “Erin Brockovich,” starring Julia Roberts, tells the story of a down-on-her-luck mother of three whose research led to a $333-million settlement from Pacific Gas & Electric for allegedly polluting ground water with the carcinogen chromium 6.

Brown’s attorneys said he was upset at the film’s intimation that he was an absent father and that he hired Reiner to negotiate a contract with Universal Pictures, the movie company. Halaby, portrayed in the film as Brockovich’s biker boyfriend, had already signed a lucrative contract with Universal.

The three men allegedly joined together to approach Masry and threaten to disparage Brockovich in the tabloid media unless they were paid the extra $310,000. They were arrested in a sting in April and charged with extortion.

On Tuesday, Halaby’s defense attorney said he was glad prosecutors “saw through the chaff to the truth” and dropped the charges against his client, Brockovich’s former boyfriend. “If there was any guilt at all, Mr. Halaby does not share it,” said attorney Sheldon Levitin.

Gary Lincenberg, Reiner’s attorney, said the discussions between Masry and Reiner were part of a legitimate business exchange with no attempted extortion.

Lincenberg said he remained confident the charges against Reiner would eventually be dropped.

“I think the D.A. recognized they should never have been charged and eventually will see the wisdom in dropping charges against Reiner.”

Lincenberg speculated that prosecutors could not drop all the charges because they had made a national issue out of the events and might appear foolish if they abandoned the entire case.

Masry, the Westlake Village-based lawyer, said he and Brockovich supported the prosecutors’ decision.

“Erin is very relieved by this,” Masry said, adding that she didn’t relish the thought of testifying against the father of her children.

“This is a big burden off Erin and if it makes Erin happy, then I’m happy,” he said.