LOS ANGELES – The lawyer for actor and accused killer Robert Blake abruptly quit the case yesterday, saying his client has a self-destructive need to be on television.
In a letter to Judge Lloyd Nash, famed defense lawyer Harland Braun said he’s dumping Blake because of an interview the actor has scheduled with ABC’s Diane Sawyer.
“I have no obligation to participate in this strategy, which I believe defies common sense,” Braun said in his letter of resignation to Nash.
Braun told The Post he’s repeatedly warned Blake to keep his mouth shut since he was arrested earlier this year for allegedly murdering wife Bonny Lee Bakley.
The lawyer said he and Blake, star of the old TV cop drama “Baretta,” had compromised, agreeing that the actor could do interviews with print reporters. But once Blake decided last week to go on TV, Braun said he could not remain on board.
“He’s been an actor since he’s had any memory, and he believes he has a link to the public,” Braun said. “He has a need to speak out. It’s inconsistent with a good legal strategy.”
The lawyer said granting an on-camera interview is legal suicide because any mis-statement could be burned into the memory of potential jurors.