A state appeals court on Tuesday refused to overturn the conviction of Rebecca Grossman, the Grossman Burn Foundation co-founder, sentenced in connection with a 2020 Westlake Village crash that killed two brothers. Grossman was found guilty in February 2024 on multiple counts, including second-degree murder and gross vehicular manslaughter, and received a 15-year-to-life prison term. The decision leaves standing a verdict that has drawn scrutiny in Los Angeles court circles and across the Conejo Valley community since the Sept. 29, 2020, collision.
Appeals panel leaves controversial verdict untouched
The three-judge panel rejected Grossman's challenges and affirmed the trial court's ruling, according to NBC Los Angeles. Prosecutors told the appellate court that data from the vehicle's recorder showed Grossman driving up to 81 mph in a 45-mph zone in the moments before impact, and said she continued down the road until her car stalled about a quarter-mile away. With the appeal denied, the 15-to-life sentence she is serving remains in place.
Trial pitted racing allegation against blame-shifting defense
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Grossman was racing another SUV driven by former Dodgers pitcher Scott Erickson and sped through a crosswalk where the boys were struck, while the defense claimed Erickson hit the children first, according to the Los Angeles Times. Jurors heard from crash reconstruction experts, eyewitnesses, and family members before returning guilty verdicts in February 2024. Erickson was never called to the stand, a gap the defense repeatedly highlighted during the proceedings.
Sentence holds as community watches closely
The conviction and punishment followed prosecution evidence that, according to the Associated Press, was offered to show Grossman acted with a conscious disregard for human life. Prosecutors had pushed for a maximum sentence of 34 years to life, while the defense urged the judge to impose a shorter term or grant probation. Residents and the Iskander family have continued to press for accountability in the years since the crash.
Appeal centers on implied malice and jury instructions
On appeal, Grossman's legal team zeroed in on how the jury was instructed about implied malice, arguing that jurors were not told the law requires a "high degree of probability that death will result," according to Courthouse News Service. Defense attorney Lara Gressley told the panel, "Tragedy does not imply malice," while prosecutors responded that the record already contained extensive evidence of dangerously fast driving. Separately, the Iskander family has filed a wrongful-death civil lawsuit against Grossman and Scott Erickson, a case that could continue to generate legal action regardless of what happens in the criminal courts.
