‘Murder by Mercedes’ Killer Clara Harris Whining Again

2008-02-20
By

Background: I’ve covered the Clara Harris “Murder by Mercedes” case extensively, both in the Houston Chronicle , on the radio, and in this blog. As I’ve previously noted, Clara Harris repeatedly ran over David Harris as David’s daughter sat in the front seat, begging Clara not to kill her father.

To learn more about the case, see my co-authored column Suppose roles had been reversed in Harris case–Murdered dad deserves sympathy being shown Clara ( Houston Chronicle , 1/27/07), In Defense of David Harris (LewRockwell.com, 3/4/03), Convicted Murderess Can Get Custody but Decent Fathers Can’t ( Houston Chronicle , 9/19/03), or click here .

According to the story below, “Murder by Mercedes” killer Clara Harris is suing her former attorney, George Parnham. Clara claims that Parnham “used her case to promote himself and his law firm and overcharged her.” She’s correct to be outraged, as Clara’s motives in killing David were far more pure–revenge and bloodthirst.

I wonder if after this case, Harris will also sue Dean M. Blumrosen, her attorney in the civil trial, where she also lost. To learn more about Blumrosen’s work in defense of Clara, see my blog post Clara Harris Fires Back at Me in Houston Chronicle .

The new article about the lawsuit is below

Clara Harris Sues Former Attorney
http://www.click2houston.com/news/
February 19, 2008

HOUSTON — A woman convicted of fatally running over her husband is suing her former attorney, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

Clara Harris claims attorney George Parnham used her case to promote himself and his law firm and overcharged her.

Harris said Parnham agreed to represent her for $100,000 plus expenses. She said she has already paid $235,000.

Parnham allowed a camera crew to follow him around while he was preparing for the trial.

Parnham’s attorney said Parnham took out a $90,000 loan to help pay expenses. He said Harris is suing because she is angry that she was found guilty.

Harris was sentenced to 20 years in prison after she was convicted of murdering her husband, David, in the parking lot of a hotel in 2002. Harris ran over her husband with her Mercedes Benz after she caught him with another woman.

Harris received more than $1 million from her husband’s estate. Her former in-laws sued her for wrongful death and won $3.75 million.

Opening arguments begin today.

Help for Orange County Dads–Free Consultation
Family law attorney J. Christian Conrad in Orange County, California helps fathers with divorce, child custody/visitation, child support, domestic violence, property division, alimony, and other family law problems. Call 949 457-0101 for a free consultation. www.jcc-law.com
510 views

  • amfortas

    She expects sympathy! What an astonishing lack of empathy.

    Mind you, I can see her point about camera toting lawyers out for self publicity. I was caught up in a similar situation – as an almost bystander.

    I was involved in a radical ‘caring’ initiative working with ‘rude, nasty girls’ in a seedy part of Melbourne (Oz) some years ago. An ‘incident’ and the extraordinary scenes that ensued became known in the media as ‘The Sweeties Case’. It dominated the news for weeks.

    I was contracted to a brothel that became embroiled in this high profile case which started when a children’s ballet school set up shop next door as the owner’s (a woman of course) personal challenge to planning laws.

    Some kiddies from her ‘school’ ran into the brothel to nick some chewy mint sweets that sat in a bowl near the reception desk. The shite hit the fan – kiddies in a brothel – and demands for action against the brothel – which had been there for 20 odd years – were demanded. The brothel owner ( yes, another woman) called her lawyer for help when the TV cameras came and camped in the street outside.

    The lawyer (known as the ‘Penguin’, from his strange walk) from a famous Melbourne firm (A ‘People’s’ firm which had recently won a $4 billion case against one of our largest companies) came to ‘take charge’ and he invited the TV crews in for a guided tour! With him doing the commentary.

    On the walls of the reception were a number of very erotic (but tasteful) full-length photos of some of the girls who worked there; girls who did not want their families knowing about their chosen ‘career’. This dumb and callous, grandstanding lawyer – little waddling shite – was busy pointing them out for the cameras and waxing lyrical about them.

    Several girls threw fits of course and people were scrambling everywhere. I had several hysteria attacks and an attempted suicide case to deal with as a result. Knowing the usefulness of a bit of well applied forcefulness I phoned for a couple of big lads to come around to confiscate the video films from the cameramen before they could leave for the TV studio. That caused a stir too. Fortunately I was able to co-opt a few high profile ‘clients’ that I knew of to hose down the business end from behind the scenes.

    Over the weeks things died down a bit until the Planning Authority’s Administrative Appeals Tribunal sat to decide which business was to go; the Ballet School or the Brothel. The ante-rooms were packed with reporters and camera crews for the next round of ‘expose’ and again it was down to me to get the brothel’s ‘parties’ briefed and rehearsed, and in and out unrecognised. What a game! But all the time the Lawyer was grandstanding for the cameras. I was able to use that as a diversionary tactic.

    I had huge fun, mind you and was paid handsomely, but I hasten to add here that I was not ‘in’ the vice industry nor as an apologist for it and the welfare of the girls was my primary interest. ( I managed to get quite a few young women out of the prostitution business in my time, many into college and many into a much sounder type of work).

  • Dustball

    Nice spin job KPRC Local 2, “..Harris ran over her husband with her Mercedes Benz after she caught him with another woman.”

    Forgot to remind folks that his daughter was in the car at the time pleading for her fathers life while Clara repeatedly ran him over.

  • http://www.shatterdmen.com/ shatteredmen

    She said she has already paid $235,000.

    Ummm and most likely…it was her dead husbands money she used to pay her lawyer to get her off. She is just ticked because she did not get off scott free like she told her husband’s daughter she could….

  • http://www.false-accusers.com TheManOnTheStreet

    WHAT?! She is expected to pay? What the hell is wrong with this world! I mean really! Holding a women responsible for something…. especially something so trivial as doing the tire dance on her ole man’s face! Besides! He deserved it! He was, afterall, cheating on her! Says so right there!

    GESH! I mean… It’s not like she did anything really bad or nothin’! it’s just not fair!

    There has to be a male SOMEWHERE to pay for it! right? There JUST HAS to be!

    TMOTS

  • Free Man

    Perhaps this would be a good time for Ms. Harris to reflect upon the consequence of HER OWN actions – that she killed someone, someone she promised to love forever, no less. Yet she remains alive, eats three meals a day, sleeps in a warm bed, etc.

    At this point money should be the least of her concerns.

    Should she focus upon what SHE DID rather than what she believes her lawyers did to her (and who hired the lawyer anyway?), she might achieve something much more valuable – contrition.






Search