When the scandal-ridden former lawyer for AVN Hall of Famer Stormy Daniels was released from jail in April due to fears that he could contract coronavirus infection behind bars, a judge agreed to let him stay with a childhood friend — Venice, California, freelance writer Jay Manheimer.
Now Manheimer himself has been dragged into the case. The writer, in whose home Avenatti is confined under house arrest, will be compelled to give a sworn deposition on Wednesday, over whether Avenatti used Manheimer’s computer to prepare court filings in his own defense.
When Avenatti was released from Metropolitan Correctional Facility in Manhattan, New York City, in April, he was prohibited from using any computer of device connected to the internet. But prosecutors last week alleged that he did just that, creating his own court briefs rather than relying on his defense attorney, H. Dean Steward.
As a result, Federal Judge James Selna of the United States Central California District Court last week cracked down on Avenatti’s alleged, unauthorized internet use, ordering that any computer used by the lawyer — who faces charges that he embezzled nearly $300,000 from Daniels, as well as committing other financial crimes — must have special, internet-disabling software installed.
But Selna also ordered Manheimer to testify, in a deposition to government lawyers scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, at 1 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. The prosecutors are likely to grill Manheimer over whether Avenatti used his internet-connected computer to put together a 72-page document complaining about what he said was unfair treatment at the hands of the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The Manheimer deposition will be conducted over the phone, and will be streamed live online, allowing members of the public to dial in at either 929-251-9612, or 415-527-5035. The access code for the public is 199 796 7780.
In his 72-page brief, Avenatti complained that he and Steward have been overwhelmed with documents provided by the government during the discovery process, and he has not been able to review them without use of a computer. But prosecutors in their response last week said that Avenatti is lying.
“At a minimum, defendant and his counsel, H. Dean Steward, appear to have intentionally misled this Court when they claimed that defendant was unable to access a computer to review discovery in this case during the past six weeks,” the prosecutors said in their own brief.
Avenatti remains under house arrest at Manheimer’s residence, and is prohibited from leaving the home except in the case of a “medical emergency.”
Photo by Showtime 'The Circus' / Wikimedia Commons https://creativecommons.org/
