According to CNN transcripts from the Nancy Grace show that aired June 30th 2005, Mark J. Heller is named as being David Berkowitz, the serial killer known as the Son of Sam, defense attorney. At present, TLC reality star, Jon Gosselin is represented by the same controversial lawyer. In the transcripts, Heller seems to be defending the Berkowitz book that will publish his memoir's. An excerpt from the serialkillercalender.com gives us the impression that Mark J. Heller was sued by Berkowitz.
This in part from the CNN transcripts:
MARK JAY HELLER, SON OF SAM`S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes, I can. Can you hear me?
GRACE: Yes. Great.
HELLER: OK.
GRACE: Mark, it seems to me that yet another book, another article about Son of Sam is simply glorifying his status as one of the most famous serial killers of our time. Why don`t you advise him to stop?
HELLER: Nancy, with all due respect, I don`t think that the focus of this story is appropriate. I think that the focus of this story is the success of our justice system and our correction department. In fact, in the last 28 years that David Berkowitz has been incarcerated, he has gotten a college degree, he`s become a minister, and he has been putting out information that would turn around other young people in society that might be misguided. And by doing so, he`s hoping to avoid other unfortunate tragedies and other victims and victims` parents suffering as Ms. Moskowitz has suffered.
And the real story here is not about David Berkowitz`s glorification, but rather the glorification of, as he views it, his turnaround and his finding spiritual religion and hope. And that`s why he considers himself to be a person of hope. He`s hoping to give hope to the hundreds of thousands of inmates throughout...
GRACE: You mean...
HELLER: ... The United States and their victims.
GRACE: You mean the hundreds of thousands of inmates that are going to read his book, the hundreds of thousands of killers...
HELLER: This is not a book, Nancy. What this is is releases that he has made telling people in similar situations in prisons and people outside of prisons that they cannot go astray and act antisocially. He is not writing a book.
Heller certainly seems to be promoting the memoir's and it's relevance for being published. In the transcript it is suggested that any funds must go to the victims families. This goes back to the Son of Sam Laws enacted in 1977 to prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes. However, In 1991, the U.S Supreme Court declared the New York's Son of Sam law unconstitutional as a content-based speech regulation. Ever since the 1991 decision, many states have amended their Son of Sam laws in order to avoid constitutionality issues. Since 2001 the NY Son of Sam Law seems to be holding up to any further constitutional challenges.
In a Wikipedia entry we get a slightly different view of the Mark J. Heller and the Son of Sam relationship.
"In June 2005, Berkowitz sued his former attorney, Hugo Harmatz, claiming he had taken possession of Berkowitz's letters and other personal belongings in order to publish a book of his own. Berkowitz stated that he would only drop the lawsuit if the attorney signed over all money he makes to the victims' families. On October 25, 2006, Berkowitz and Harmatz settled out of court, with Harmatz agreeing to return the disputed items to Berkowitz's present attorney Mark Jay Heller, and to donate part of his book profits to the New York State Crime Victims Board."
A Washingtonpost story backs up the Wiki entry. Were Mark J. Heller and David Berkowitz on board with the book as long as Berkowitz received the profits, until the public criticism became an issue and the possibility of a constitutional challenge would be too daunting? This question was posed to Mark J. Heller via an email request but there was no response by our publishing deadline.
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Comments
your investigation is very interesting. i have felt something fishy was going on with the mike heller and mark heller duo. all the revelations recently about mark heller's suspensions by the ny supreme court and his activities with that serial killer show a pattern. i bet mike heller was in on it too in the background trying to take a % of profits negotiating terms with publishers or news media. their track records plus mike lohan's record of stock fraud all point to a very shady circle of people acting as advisors and representatives of jon gosselin. its ironic that jon states he doesnt care bout their past history yet most people as parents would be concerned if their children associated with others involved in shady or illegal activities.
and this is who the father of the 8 sweet gosselin children decided would be a good person to bring into their lives...
Son of Sam and Jon Gosselin. Almost like peanut butter and jelly!
I know Jon and Kate had their ups and downs-and quite frankly, I think things would have or could have turned around and they could have still been together as a family. However, I have said it before, Jon got involved with the wrong crowd. The Hellers saw jon only as a means of making money. They knew he was vulnerable and they used him. Also, he got involved with Lohan who is certainly not a good role model and lastly - he got involved with crazy Hailey - a druggy!! What I am saying is that jon's life is a mess because of the people that he hooked up with - he moved with the wrong crowd and they gave him the lowest of lowest of advice. I know jon slept around with a lot of women over the past year or so-and I am sorry for the way he handled those women-but on the other hand, those women- Kate Major,Stephanie,Hailey etc. have no values or morals - they were wrong to sleep with jon who was not divorced - serves them right - jon is a sick man!! he needs help. He never loved any of U.
TEAM JON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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