LOS ANGELES : Menendez Psychologist Oziel Sued by Ex-Lover
The onetime paramour of the Menendez brothers’ psychologist, L. Jerome Oziel, sued the Beverly Hills therapist Monday, alleging that he had sued her for libel to harass her.
Judalon Smyth alleged in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that Oziel’s lawsuit--brought in 1992 against her, writer Dominick Dunne and Vanity Fair magazine over an October, 1990, article--lacked proper legal grounds. A judge dismissed Oziel’s suit in February.
“Factually, he sued her wrongfully,” Smyth’s attorney, Woodland Hills lawyer Bruce Bunch, said Monday. “And that set up a domino effect of causing a lot of different problems.”
Smyth’s lawsuit alleges malicious prosecution. It seeks unspecified damages.
Oziel testified for the prosecution at the first trial of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez, saying they confessed to him that they killed their parents Aug. 20, 1989.
Defense lawyers then called Smyth to discredit Oziel. The trial ended in hung juries. A second trial is to begin March 13.
Monday’s lawsuit is the third Smyth has filed against Oziel, who consistently has denied wrongdoing.
An undisclosed settlement was reached in the first, filed in 1990. Another is pending.
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