State Bar president says attorney talked about Strohmeyer case

Saturday, July 19, 1997 | 10:46 a.m.

Leslie Abramson, who represented the Menendez brothers in the slaying of their parents, was the featured speaker June 27 during the State Bar's annual convention, held this year in Anaheim, Calif.

"She started out the speech by saying, 'There's a gag order, and I can't talk about the case," said Bob Dickerson, State Bar president.

He said her 20 to 30 minute speech focused almost entirely on the Strohmeyer case.

Abramson could not be reached for comment, and Dickerson said he did not have a recording of the speech.

Goodsprings Justice of the Peace Janet Smith, based in Jean, issued a gag order in the case shortly after Strohmeyer's arrest. She later amended it to allow authorities to talk about procedures in the case, but not the evidence itself.

Strohmeyer is charged with the May 25 rape and slaying of 7-year-old Sherrice Iverson in a restroom at the Primm Valley hotel-casino on the Nevada-California state line.

Strohmeyer, 18, of Long Beach, Calif., was arrested three days later.

Wright has complained at recent court hearings that police and prosecutors have violated Smith's order regarding pretrial publicity.

The judge has ordered Sgt. Bill Keeton of the Metropolitan Police Department homicide section and Clark County Assistant District Attorney J. Charles Thompson to appear before her Tuesday to answer Wright's allegations.

Dickerson said Wright did not attend the convention, although three Nevada Supreme Court justices did.

"It just surprised me," Dickerson said. "I just think had she known Nevada Supreme Court justices were in the room, she would have wanted to temper her comments, because there's little doubt the case will eventually end up before the Nevada Supreme Court."

He said Abramson complained during her speech that police had obtained a "confession" from Strohmeyer while his stomach was being pumped. The teen-ager was taken to a hospital shortly after his arrest when police learned he had swallowed some sleeping pills.

Dickerson said Abramson also told her audience she had flown to Jean in a private plane with Strohmeyer's parents after the killing and, upon discovering the airstrip had no taxi service, hitchhiked with them the 13 miles to Primm.

Abramson said she donned a wig and dark glasses for the trip to the Primm Valley hotel, where the group had gone to investigate the case, Dickerson said.