Friday, January 6, 2012
Page 3
Los Angeles Attorney Kenneth Markman Arraigned for Attempt to Smuggle Drugs at Courthouse
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Los Angeles attorney Kenneth R. Markman yesterday pled not guilty to seven felony counts arising from his alleged attempt to smuggle drugs to a client at the Foltz Criminal Courthouse.
Markman, 47, was arrested on Oct. 21, and is accused of trying to bring 26 balloons containing heroin and meth into a jail holding facility at the court last October, for his client, Jorge Zaragoza, who had a court appearance scheduled that day in an attempted carjacking case.
According to the complaint, BA 392291, Zaragoza, and his girlfriend, Jennifer Vasquez—both suspected gang members—conspired to acquire the drugs and supply them to Markham.
The attorney was arrested again on Nov. 18 after a security officer saw suspicious items in the X-Ray machine as Markman tried to enter the Antelope Valley Court.
Markman allegedly grabbed his wallet and attempted to leave the building but was detained by a sheriff’s deputy. Suspected drug paraphernalia and two bindles of rock cocaine allegedly were found in his wallet.
He pled not guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy, two counts of bringing drugs into a jail and four counts of possession of a controlled substance in a jail.
The complaint alleges the offenses were to benefit a street gang.
If convicted, he faces more than four years in state prison.
Markman was released was released on $25,000 bail, but he is due to return to court Thursday in Department 50 for a preliminary setting.
The attorney, who was admitted to practice in 1991 after graduating from UCLA and Loyola Law School, has been suspended twice for failing to pay his State Bar dues and placed on inactive status for noncompliance with continuing education requirements.
He has no other public record of discipline, according to the State Bar website.
Copyright 2012, Metropolitan News Company