Friday proved challenging for Rebecca Grossman, a convicted child killer, and her former partner, Scott Erickson, a past pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, during their court proceedings.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Huey Cotton dismissed Erickson’s request to prevent the Iskander family from examining his financial records. This investigation aims to assess potential damages Erickson might owe if found liable in their ongoing lawsuit, where he is also named as a defendant.

Additionally, Judge Cotton denied Grossman’s attempt to relocate the venue of her forthcoming trial. The trial pertains to a civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by Nancy and Karim Iskander, whose two sons were tragically killed in an incident involving Grossman while she was allegedly racing Erickson.

Grossman, 62, was found guilty in February of last year on all charges, which included two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, and one count of hit-and-run resulting in death. She received a sentence of 15 years to life imprisonment.

The jury rejected the defense’s argument that it was Erickson’s black Mercedes SUV, and not Grossman’s white Mercedes, that was involved in the accident that claimed the lives of 11-year-old Mark Iskander and his 8-year-old brother, Jacob. The tragic event occurred in a marked crosswalk in Westlake Village, located west of Los Angeles, in September 2020.

At the time of the crash, Grossman and Erickson, who were romantically involved while Grossman was separated from her husband, noted plastic surgeon Peter Grossman, had been drinking margaritas earlier. They were reportedly racing each other at speeds exceeding 70 mph, with Erickson’s vehicle ahead of Grossman’s when the fatal collision occurred.

Erickson, 57, received only a slap-on-the-wrist reckless driving misdemeanor citation as a result of the accident.

But the Iskanders named him alongside Grossman in their wrongful death civil lawsuit, slamming him for racing with her on the day of the accident and saying his ‘despicable conduct’ played a substantial part in causing the fatal collision.

The judge Rebecca Grossman’s denied her request for a change of venue after lawyers described her murder trial near LA as a media circus. And he torpedoed Erickson’s efforts to stop the Iskanders from probing his finances to determine how much he’ll have to pay out as damages if they win their lawsuit in which he’s also a named defendant

Grossman was sentenced to 15 years to life after a late-night meet-up with her ex-MLB lover ended in tragedy when she plowed her Mercedes into brothers Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8, as the pair raced through the streets following drinks 

Erickson was a no-show Friday – just as he was throughout Grossman’s six-week criminal trial – in his opposition to the Iskanders’ motion to delve into his finances.

His lawyers argued that under California law, the Iskanders can only do that if they can show the court that they have a good chance of winning their case against him.

Erickson’s attorney Jeff Braun contended that ‘the only admissible evidence’ the Islanders have against him is a phone conversation he had after the accident with his buddy, ex pro baseball player, Royce Clayton, who, according to Iskander’s legal team, told cops that Erickson said ‘he was racing with Grossman, had to swerve to avoid hitting the boys, saw Grossman hit them both, and then fled the scene’.

The dented hood of Rebecca Grossman’s Mercedes she used to allegedly ‘race with her lover’ after the Iskander brothers were hit and killed

Braun disputed that Erickson was racing the night of the accident and argued that despite Erickson’s ‘hearsay phone conversation with a third party…there is zero evidence that my client’s vehicle made contact with the children.’

Erickson’s legal team added in written declarations that although he admitted a charge of reckless driving following the September 29, 2020 fatal crash, ‘detectives determined that he (or his reckless driving) was not a cause of the collision…..

‘Further, Erickson was never named or called to testify during the criminal trial of Rebecca Grossman – who was found guilty of causing the accident and killing the boys.’

The Iskanders’ lawyers vehemently contested Erickson’s claims, saying, ‘The undisputed record – including Erickson’s own reckless driving conviction, his flight from the scene and his subsequent concealment and deception demonstrates substantial probability that plaintiffs will prevail on their punitive damages claims at trial.’

They accused Erickson of ‘trying to minimize his wrongful conduct’ and insisted that in a deposition he admitted that:

Erickson’s lawyer denied he  was racing the night of the accident and argued that despite Erickson’s ‘hearsay phone conversation with a third party…there is zero evidence that my client’s vehicle made contact with the children’

– ‘He saw Mark and Jason Iskander crossing the street within the marked crosswalk and he failed to yield to them;

– ‘He ran back to the scene of the crash and stood there for three hours never once telling law enforcement anything that he witnessed, including the fact that he narrowly missed hitting the boys in the marked crosswalk;

– ‘He had three prior speeding tickets and a DUI conviction’.

Judge Cotton, sided with the Iskanders and granted their motion for an order which now allows them to take a close look at ‘Scott Erickson’s financial condition.’

As for Grossman, lawyers requested a change of venue because her murder trial, in Van Nuys just outside LA, became such a media circus. They filed a motion calling for her civil trial – scheduled for January next year – to be moved, claiming in written submissions uncovered by DailyMail, that  ‘impartial trial cannot be had in Los Angeles county.’

’Since the accident, there has been overwhelming negative local media coverage as well as local groups in Facebook and Nextdoor actively advocating against Ms. Grossman in social media and every hearing related to Ms. Grossman, wearing coordinated shirts meant to influence court proceedings, the public perspective and the outcome of trial (i.e. shirts saying “Justice Delayed , Justice Denied” and Images of Iskander boys).’

Her lawyers suggested that she would get a more fair trial in Tulare County – a rural area around 170 miles north of LA – where potential jurors they surveyed showed a ‘stark difference’ from jury-eligible respondents in LA county.

The parents of the slain brothers were given the green light to probe the finances of Erickson and Grossman family

‘The survey revealed 44% of LA respondents, compared to just 17% in Tulare recall Ms. Grossman’s name in association with the criminal trial………and 47% of LA respondents, compared to just 21% in Tulare believe Ms. Grossman is “definitely guilty” of a hit-and-run fatality.

The Iskanders’ lawyers countered with several arguments against a change of venue including that Grossman already had a fair and impartial trial in LA county.

On Friday, Judge Cotton agreed with the Iskanders legal team and denied Grossman’s motion to move the trial out of LA. 

The judge has already granted an earlier motion from the Iskanders’s to let them investigate Grossman’s worth, estimated to be around $20 million.

The cash damages the Iskanders are seeking are as yet ‘unspecified’ but when they’ve determined exactly how rich she – and Erikson – are, they’ll be able to put a dollar figure on how much they want in damages for the agony and suffering they’ve endured since losing their two beloved sons

Grossman and her husband Peter – who is also named in the civil lawsuit as the owner of the white BMW that hit the boys and the one who pays the insurance on the vehicle – are rich targets.

Peter Grossman, 62, is medical director of Grossman Burn Centers, a multi-million dollar medical corporation with modern, state-of-the-art hospitals in West Hills, CA, Bakersfield, CA and Kansas City, Mo.

Grossman Burn Centers was founded by Peter’s plastic surgeon father,

Dr. Richard Grossman, who died at age 81 in 2014, leaving an estate estimated at more than $20 million.

The current centers – which specialize in the treatment and reconstruction of burn injuries – have cared for many wealthy and famous patients, including Jay Leno who went to Grossman when he was burned in a garage gas fire in 2022 and actress Anne Heche who suffered fatal burns in a fiery car crash the same year.

Texas-born Rebecca Grossman helped run the philanthropic wing of the family empire, the Grossman Burn Foundation, often hosting star-studded galas and fund raisers to help collect the funds to pay for the treatment of burn victims who are not so well off.

Peter Grossman, 62, is medical director of Grossman Burn Centers, a multi-million dollar medical corporation with modern, state-of-the-art hospitals in West Hills, CA, Bakersfield, CA and Kansas City, Mo.

But outside the Grossman Burn Foundation, according to various published reports, she’s had a successful solo business career in medical marketing, technology and real estate, plus a guest host spot on ABC7 Eyewitness News.

All this – added to some shrewd investments – add up to an estimated personal worth of $20 million for Rebecca, who reportedly went to UCLA and has a degree in economics.

Before – and during- her murder trial Grossman was living with her husband in a luxurious, nine-bedroom, ranch-style Hidden Hills home worth around $9 million and located in a gated community that boasts near neighbors like Kylie Jenner and former Full House TV star Lori Loughlin.

Less is known about Erickson’s finances. During his 15-year pro career, he was a star pitcher at the Minnesota Twins – with whom he won a World Series in 1991 – the Baltimore Orioles, the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers.

He spent a year playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005, and ended his career with the New York Yankees in 2006.

Long Beach, CA-born Erickson was married for 17 years to actress turned TV sportscaster and reporter Lisa Guerrero, now 60, with whom he lived in LA. They divorced in 2021 and had no children together.

In 2007, Erickson – who had just retired from baseball – financed and co-executive produced the movie A Plumm Summer in which then-wife Guerrero starred alongside Jeff Daniels, Billy Baldwin and Henry Winkler.