Franklin's Gary Fields talks about working with Geoffrey Fieger, and Jack Kevorkian.

LONNY GOLDSMITH STAFF WRITER

A

lot of people would consider
Gary Fields to be in over his
head.
Since his days as a student
at Detroit College of Law,
he's been associated with the
ongoing saga of Jack
Kevorkian and the hot-potato of assisted
suicide. And he's loved every minute of
it.
Fields, 28, clerked at Fieger, Fieger and
.-Schwartz in Southfield all three summers
during law school and then practiced with
the firm his first year and a half after
graduating four years ago.
"Outside of Geoffrey (Fieger) and Mark
(Schwartz), I've been on this case longer
than anyone," Fields said.
Fields grew up in Southfield and at-
tended Southfield-Lathrup High School.
He married Elizabeth Eisenberg, whom
he met the first week of his first year at
Michigan State University.
Since leaving Fieger, Fieger and

Schwartz, Fields has practiced with his
father-in-law, Gary Eisenberg, specializ-
ing in personal injury cases, but he con-
tinues to work with Fieger on the
Kevorkian cases. -
"Geoffrey and I have a wonderful re-
lationship," Fields said. "He's as much a
mentor as my father-in-law, and as
skilled a trial lawyer as you can find any-
where in the country. If anyone but him
defended Jack (Kevorkian), Jack would
have spent time in jail."
Thanks in part to the work of Fields,
Kevorkian is yet to lose a trial. "We're
6-for-6," Fields says with pride.
When Fields had the opportunity to
work with his father-in-law, Fieger gave
him his Messing.
"Geoffrey had told me that if it was
anyone other than Gary, he'd try and talk
me out of it," Fields explained. "Howev-
er, Geoffrey took the opportunity to work
with his own father before he passed
away, and he respected the decision."

A trial in Ionia last month, Kevorkian's
most recent, involved the death of Loret-
ta Peabody who was suffering from ad-
vanced multiple sclerosis. She had talked
with Dr. Kevorkian in a videotaped con-
versation.
"Jack was charged because he con-
sulted with Mrs. Peabody," Fields said.
"They tried to make one plus two equal
three, when it really equalled 50."
On June 9, because of the size of the
courtroom, jury selection was held in a
town movie theater. While walking there
from the court house, Fields, Fieger, and
attorney Mike Morganroth were show-
ered with anti-Jewish remarks by a pick-
eting crowd.
"They made slurs about Jews, Carl
Levin, Fieger and Kevorkian," Fields said.
"I was told that they were passing out
anti-Jewish leaflets, but I hadn't seen
anything. It was the first time that I had
experienced anti-Semitism, related to the
case or otherwise."

On June 10, the trial began — and end-
ed. Ionia County Prosecutor Ray Voet
asked for a mistrial after Fieger made a
scathing opening statement that includ-
ed evidence the medical examiner had
changed the cause of death for Loretta
Peabody.
When not in the office or court, Fields
likes to spend his time on other courts:
basketball and tennis.,
"I'm an avid athlete, and always have
been," Fields said. "I try to play tennis or
hoops three-to-four times a week, and I
play football in the fall."
For the time being, there are no tri-
als pending against Kevorkian.
However, Fields would welcome the
chance to defend his celebrated client.
"If a case goes to trial, then I'll work on
it," Fields said. "The publicity from work-
ing on this case has helped, because peo-
ple like to see that their lawyer will fight
for their client." ❑

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