I Metro
Eric Dubin talks about
the trial on TV.
Harry Kirsbaum
Staff Writer
Oak Park-born
Eric Dubin
wins big against
"Baretta "
s a kid living in
Southfield, Eric Dubin
was a huge fan of
Baretta, the 1970s television
cop show starring Robert Blake.
Dubin, 39, finally got to meet
Blake a couple of years ago, but
the actor probably wasn't very
thrilled to meet Dubin, who is .
now a practicing attorney in
Irvine, Calif.
Blake, acquitted of criminal
murder eight months ago in the
2001 shooting death_ of his wife;
Bonny Lee Bakley, faced Dubin
in a wrongful death civil law-
suit brought by her four chil-
dren.
On Nov. '18, in a 10-2 deci-
sion, Blake was found liable for
Bakley's death and ordered to
pay $30 million.
Not a bad settlement for
Dubin, a kid from the
Southfield-Lathrop graduating
class of 1984.
After high school, he attend-
ed the University of Arizona
and graduated in 1992 with a
degree in business marketing.
He met his wife, Dalia, in
1987.
A
.
After graduating California
Western Law School in San
Diego in 1992, Dubin hung up
his shingle in Irvine and mar-
ried Dalia three years later.
They have two children; Jakob,
2, and Alexa, 472.
After Dubin won some "pret-
ty major" wrongful death law-
suits, the Bakley family contact-
ed him 372 years ago. He's been
in the spotlight ever since.
"This has literally been the
top story on every local news
channel for the last four years
as well as the local papers:'
Dubin said. "My wife has been
able to come up and watch a lot
of the trial..My daughter just
wanted to know that I won. The
kids call it 'Daddy TV' whenev-
er the news is on."
Although there have been
comparisons to the O.J.
Simpson case, Dubin said that
collecting money from Blake
should be easier.
"O.J. had some protections
through an NFL pension,"
Dubin said, adding that the
family of Ronald Goldman and
Nicole Brown Simpson have
only been able to collect
$500,000 of the $33.5 million
awarded.
show, and hearing her voice is
The prosecutor of Blake's
really just amazing for me."
criminal trial subpoenaed all of
His father, Marvin, also lives
his financial records.
. in Bloomfield Hills.
"The assets I've seen show
• Dubin has kept in contact
Mr. Blake having in excess of
with boyhood friends from the
$20 million, and we're going to
neighborhood, and they've fol-
be very aggressive in going
lowed the trial.
•
after it," Dubin said. "I've got
"I'm tremendously proud of a
every move the guy has made
guy who grew up in our back
in the past 20 years. I'm already yard, and how he's able to go
pretty ahead of the game."
out West and make a name for
If all goes according to plan,
himself," said Harvey Freed of
Dubin thinks that payments
West Bloomfield. "We grew up
could come as soon as 90 days.
down the street from each other
in Oak Park and moved to
Southfield and always kept in
touch."
Dealing With Fame
Cherie Morganroth met
Dubin has enjoyed the atten-
Dubin while working at the
tion that being interviewed
Stage Delicatessen in high
about 320 times on cable news
school, and they became high
brings.
school sweethearts.
"Having the opportunity to
"He was always good at
actually talk to the world on
thinking on his toes, always
these shows live is quite an
very witty and sarcastic:' said
honor, and I know it makes my
Morganroth, who has been a
mom quite proud in Michigan,
Southfield attorney since 1992.
which is good enough for me,"
"He sends friends updates
he said of Lynne Dubin Stahl,
on the trials;' she said. "He'll
who lives with her husband,
e-mail us and tell us when
Bert, in Bloomfield Hills. "It's
he's
going to be on certain
one of the best fringe benefits,
news
shows. I get a huge kick
calling my mom after being on
out
of
it." 0
Larry King Live or the Today
.
Decembect 2005