© APJodi Arias
The lawsuit filed against former attorney L. Kirk Nurmi - who surrendered his license to practice law in November after a complaint filed by an attorney on Arias' behalf - alleges that Nurmi disclosed "confidential and privileged information" in his November 2015 book for the "expressed purpose of financial gain and his own public 'redemption,'" according to the lawsuit obtained by the Arizona Republic.
"Since his representation of Plaintiff ended Nurmi has made numerous public statements about his client via traditional media (including on televisions, radio, in print, etc.) as well as via the internet and on social media for the purpose of marketing the book and increasing sales," the lawsuit reads.
Nurmi published the book, "Trapped with Ms. Arias: Part 1 of 3, From Getting the File to Being Ready for Trial," to "redeem his public image as a lawyer, which he claims was tarnished by his representation of Plaintiff," according to the lawsuit. "In the course of his quest to 'redeem' himself with the public, Nurmi discloses confidential information about his client, including privileged communications, his mental impressions of the case and other work product privileged information."
In response to the lawsuit, Nurmi said he "intends to fight this battle with vigor" in an emailed statement to the Arizona Republic.
"Standing up to the abuse Ms. Arias imparted upon me over the years was an important part of my personal transformation and I will continue to fight this battle with vigor as I defend against this lawsuit which is best viewed as a continuation of Ms. Arias' pattern of attacking men whom she feels have wronged her," Nurmi wrote.
Nurmi's statement also said that "no one person has suffered" more from Arias' actions than Travis Alexander, her on-again-off-again boyfriend whom she shot and stabbed in 2008 in what prosecutors said was payback for him wanting out of their relationship.
Arias has acknowledged killing Alexander after initially claiming that intruders killed him as she hid in fear. A judge sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 2015 after a second jury deadlocked on whether to give Arias the death penalty or life in prison.
Nurmi, meanwhile, surrendered his law license in November after a complaint filed in connection to the book by attorney Karen Clark, the Arizona Republic reports.
The lawsuit also claims that Nurmi "reveals his utter hatred" of Arias in the book, as well as his "preoccupation with the sexual nature of the case" and Arias herself.
"Nurmi had a disturbing, sexual fascination with the case and with Plaintiff and demonstrated a sexist, chauvinistic, domineering, disparaging, demeaning and belittling way of dealing with Plaintiff," according to the lawsuit. "In many references in his book, both overt and implied, Nurmi asserts that Plaintiff flirted with him and actually perceived him as 'her boyfriend.' This is false."
Why? Maybe he was about to lose his license anyway. (He damn sure deserves to with what he's done and I can't believe a book publisher would even think about publishing such.)
R.C.