Attorneys for former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his son Christopher are asking a judge to prevent lawyers for a man who alleges he was injured in a 2020 car crash in Brentwood involving Christopher from calling the actor to testify at next month’s trial.
According to the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit filed in November 2020, the accident occurred at Carmelina Avenue and Sunset Boulevard when Christopher Schwarzenegger’s vehicle collided with two cars, including that of 54-year-old Gad Kakanyisa, who contends he was seriously injured.
On Monday, the Schwarzenegger attorneys filed court papers with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa R. Jaskol arguing that allowing the plaintiff to tell the jury about the former governor’s ownership of the car as well as his career and celebrity status, or asking him to testify, would “wrongfully escalate emotions and bias” against the Schwarzeneggers and the actor’s company, Oak Production Inc.
The Schwarzenegger attorneys’ court papers also note that Arnold Schwarzenegger made a May 30 compromise offer to Kakanyisa that caps the ex-politician’s liability at $15,000.
The Schwarzenegger attorneys want the judge to bar any mention of Christopher Schwarzenegger’s status as a public figure, his familial relationships with his father and the Shriver and Kennedy families, his finances and any prior auto accidents he may have had.
Trial of the Kakanyisa lawsuit is scheduled for Aug. 8.