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3d ago

Appeals Court Upholds Rebecca Grossman’s Murder Convictions in 2020 Crosswalk Deaths

The ruling rejects claims of juror misinstruction on implied malice, leaving Grossman to pursue only a discretionary state Supreme Court review.

Rebecca Grossman heads to Van Nuys Courthouse West Van Nuys.
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VAN NUYS, CA-APRIL 25, 2022: A sign shows an image of Mark Iskander, 11, left, and his brother Jacob Iskander, 8, outside of Van Nuys Courthouse were a preliminary hearing was held for Rebecca Grossman who is charged with murder and other counts stemming from a crash in Westlake Village, where Grossman's Mercedes struck the boys in a crosswalk and killed them. Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times via Getty

Overview

  • California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal on March 17 affirmed the verdict and sentence in full, keeping the trial court’s judgment intact.
  • Grossman’s 2024 convictions include two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, and hit-and-run, with a 15‑years‑to‑life term that she continues to serve.
  • Prosecutors presented vehicle data showing about 73 mph at impact and argued she reached 81 mph seconds earlier, and they said she stopped roughly a quarter-mile away when her SUV disabled.
  • Appellate arguments that the conduct supported only manslaughter and that jurors were misinstructed were rejected, as the panel found substantial evidence of implied malice.
  • The Iskander family’s separate wrongful-death case against Grossman and former Dodger Scott Erickson is set for trial, and Erickson was not criminally charged and did not testify in the criminal case.