Anand Jon Looks for Attorney No. 3
Beleaguered designer Anand Jon Alexander, who sits in Los Angeles County Jail charged with 46 counts of sexual assault, is having trouble holding onto his high-profile lawyers.
His latest counsel, Beverly Hills attorney Danny Davis, confirmed that he recently severed his relationship with Alexander, who usually goes by Anand Jon in the trade and whose apparel line is also under the Anand Jon name.
Davis said he could not disclose the reason because of the state’s attorney-client privilege. However, Alexander’s sister, Sanjana Jon, a New York clothing designer, accused Davis of botching up a bail proceeding, costing him his freedom.
Alexander’s first attorney, Ronald Richards, confirmed the story. Richards and Alexander broke their attorney-client relationship earlier this summer.
Both attorneys are prominent in their fields. Davis was a key figure in the McMartin Preschool child-abuse case in the 1980s. Richards served as a legal analyst during the recent Michael Jackson molestation case.
Davis said it shouldn’t be too long before Alexander obtains another attorney. “He has a long line of suitors,” he said.
While Alexander sits in jail, Sanjana Jon has been lobbying the Los Angeles Indian-American community for support, claiming that her brother has become a victim of racism. Both were born in India.
“Being first generation here, it’s very difficult to stand up and be heard. You realize that you are a typical non-entity in Beverly Hills; you don’t have your community standing behind you,” said Sanjana Jon, during an interview with India television news outlet IBN Live, adding, “It definitely feels that it’s racial. Nobody was listening to us. Nobody seemed to care.”
Alexander was initially arrested by the Beverly Hills police on March 6. A number of alleged female victims, some under 18, have since contacted authorities and accused Alexander of rape and sexual battery.
Alexander could face life in prison if convicted of all counts. His attorneys have countered that the victims, mostly models who worked with Alexander, were retaliating against the designer for failing to gain work with his company. —Robert McAllister
