Lawyer's Wife's Slaying Reminds Legal Experts of Potential Perils

ByABC News
October 18, 2005, 5:15 AM

Oct. 18, 2005 — -- The slaying of the wife of a California lawyer known for taking high-profile cases has made some legal experts reflect on the potential dangers of their work.

Defense attorney Daniel Horowitz told police he found the body of his wife, Pamela Vitale, at home on Saturday night. Vitale had been beaten to death, coroners determined, and there was initial speculation that her slaying was related to Horowitz's work.

Horowitz has represented known drug dealers, murderers and other hardened criminals, and provided legal analysis in several trials, most notably the Scott Peterson case. He also has defended former Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko in a money-laundering and fraud trial. In May, a judge threw out half of the convictions against Lazarenko, who is under house arrest in the Bay Area.

Police are not commenting publicly on the investigation or a possible motive, and there are reports they are focusing on a potential suspect who is not tied to Horowitz's work. Some experts say that while Vitale's slaying may have been a random act of violence, it is a reminder that attorneys can be targeted because of their views.

"It's easy to think at first that it could be related to his work, as criminal defense attorneys often deal with very dangerous people on a daily basis," said Jami Floyd, an anchor for Court TV and a former criminal defense and civil attorney. "I can tell you that my father was none too pleased when he learned that I was becoming a criminal defense attorney. As a legal analyst, I often get messages from viewers who disagree with my views as a criminal defense attorney. We live in a time where things are very much in favor of the victim and people really don't want to hear the side of a defendant.

"For criminal defense attorneys, once you get to know them, it's not about going to the courtroom," Floyd continued. "It's about preserving Constitutional rights, representing the disenfranchised, the ostracized, like Scott Peterson, making sure everyone has their right to a fair trial."