Anna Gristina’s newly-fired lawyer Peter Gleason today. (Steven Hirsch)
Another court date, another legal team.
Accused Hockey Mom madam Anna Gristina came to court today with yet another newly hired lawyer and yet another newly fired lawyer.
Out: Peter Gleason. Gristina has fired — for a second time — the on-again, off-again lawyer who admits having never tried a felony case.
Gleason created a stir earlier this year, prior to the first time Gristina fired him, by offering to post his $2 million TriBeCa apartment as collateral for the whopping $2 million bail bond she has been unable to raise since her arrest in February.
Now Gleason is being jettisoned after a blistering excoriation in open court by Gristina’s judge, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, at her last court date May 9th. Among other things, Merchan criticized Gleason for going on national television as Gristina’s lawyer on the same day he knew she’d be firing him.
In: John Geida, a former New York Legal Aid attorney. Geida’s appointment to the case was approved today by Merchan, by his tally becoming the ninth and latest lawyer she has had since her arrest.
“Nine attorneys, and one appearing twice, is an exceptional matter, by any standard,” Merchan told the lawyers.
Geida is an attorney in the office of Norman Pattis, the lawyer she hired when she became dissatisfied with lawyer number four, Gary Greenwald, who had spent since March conducting negotiations with prosecutors and preparing an extensive bail appeal on her behalf.
“This is now your trial team,” Merchan told Gristina of Pattis and Geida.
Rounding out the now Pattis-Geida team as an assistant is British-born barrister David Geller — son of spoon-bending psychic Uri Geller and the eighth lawyer hired by Gristina.
“I’m happy to have been part of the process of putting the team together that she now has,” Gleason said.
Gristina returns to court July 31.
Additional reporting by Jeane MacIntosh