Larry Nassar is distancing himself from remarks made by one of his own lawyers who said Thursday a ‘huge part’ of her does not believe some of his victims.
Shannon Smith, a Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based defense attorney, told a Detroit radio station on Thursday that ‘she sees some good’ in the confessed pedophile who ‘comes off as a great person’ even though he confessed to sexually abusing scores of women while working as a sports physician.
Smith said on Thursday that Nassar had done ‘legitimate medical treatment’ on girls that ‘involves touching sensitive areas and even penetrations.’
‘Some of those girls, to be quite frank, they didn’t even know what to think because they never felt victimized,’ Smith told WWJ Newsradio 950.
‘There were girls who had perfectly normal lives that never questioned the medical treatment done by Larry Nassar… He was never inappropriate to them.
Shannon Smith (far right), a Michigan-based defense attorney, told a Detroit radio station on Thursday that disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar (center) had done ‘legitimate medical treatment’ on girls that ‘involves touching sensitive areas and even penetrations’
‘And because of everything they’ve seen, they just feel like they must have been victimized. And I think that’s really unfortunate.’
Thus far, a total of 265 people, mostly young girls in sports, have come forward to declare that they were abused by the disgraced former gymnastics doctor.
Smith, who specializes in defending clients accused of sexual assault, believes that the intense media interest which ‘spun out of control’ had an impact on some of the accusers.
‘I have a very hard time believing that my client could have even possibly assaulted that many people day in and day out in front of their parents, and that every single one of those things was a crime, but he was such a manipulator he got away with it,’ Smith said.
‘I just can’t imagine that’s true.
‘As much as they were allowed to speak at sentencing, and that was something we agreed to, even during the sentencing, more and more people were coming forward thinking “I was fine my whole life and now all of a sudden I have realized I was a survivor.”
‘I think that’s really sad.’
Nassar, 54, released a statement Thursday through another lawyer, saying Smith’s remarks are a distraction.
He says the courtroom statements by victims have been meaningful and have ‘pierced my soul.’
‘As I have repeatedly said under oath, the plea agreements are accurate and I have, through my lawyers, asked that the court follow them. I have heard each and every impact statement made by the victims in my cases,’ Nassar said in the statement reported by the Lansing State Journal.
‘Their words have been meaningful, they have pierced my soul and I will carry their words with me for the rest of my life. I am sorry about this distraction at a time when the attention should be on the statements of these victims.’
Nassar appeared Wednesday in a Michigan courtroom for the start of his final sentencing hearing.
He has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison.
Rachael Denhollander, the former gymnast who was the first to come forward and accuse Nassar of abuse, released a statement blasting Smith
Nassar will return to Eaton County court on Friday for the second day of another sentencing.
At Wednesday’s hearing, 30 women painted a chilling portrait of a man who used his renown and status to prey upon their innocence.
Nassar, they said, offered comfort and friendship in their most vulnerable moments, when they were wracked with physical pain and desperate to succeed in an often-demanding sport.
Rachael Denhollander, the former gymnast who was the first to come forward and accuse Nassar of abuse, released a statement blasting Smith.
‘The level of willful ignorance displayed by Shannon Smith, ignorance of medical procedure, ignorance of the dynamics of sexual assault, and ignorance of her own client, is beyond the pale,’ she said in a statement.
‘It was clear during court appearances, as she was taking photos and posing for the press, that sexual assault was nothing more than an opportunity for a photo op and self-promotion.
‘She proves that again today.
‘Fortunately, nothing Ms. Smith says is capable of changing the truth, and the truth is readily apparent for anyone who wishes to know.’
During Nassar’s preliminary hearing, Smith questioned Denhollander on the witness stand, suggesting that her motive for accusing Nassar was to win money through her lawsuit against Michigan State University.
Nassar worked at MSU as a sports doctor.
Despite the painful testimonials of Denhollander and scores of other victims, Smith believes Nassar is a good person.
‘I think Larry Nassar comes off as a really great person,’ she said.
‘There is no doubt he did a lot of good for a lot of his patients.
‘While people are criticizing the techniques he used, there is undeniably proof that those techniques would take a girl who came into his office unable to walk and fix her in a way that she was able to compete the next day.
‘So, I see good in Larry Nassar.’
Speaking out: The sentencing trial for Larry Nassar kicked off in Eaton County Court on Wednesday with testimony from Jessica Thomashow (above on Wednesday)
She recounted how one of the worst moments in her life was when Nassar and his defense attorneys laughed at her while she testified about being assaulted. Nassar is seen right alongside attorney Matt Newburg
Smith said that while she believes Nassar was performing legitimate medical techniques, it was ultimately his decision to accept a plea agreement.
‘We had some issues in the case,’ she said.
‘And there was also a lot of child pornography that could not be refuted.
‘There’s facts and information that I would never share with the public, nor could I share with the public, and so at the end of the day it was really his decision.’
Smith said that while it was difficult representing Nassar in court, she was doing her duty as an American citizen in making sure an accused person received due process.
‘My job is absolutely not to question my clients’ behaviors or things that have happened,’ she said.
‘My job is to make sure the process is fair and to make sure they’re getting a defense.
‘Everyone is entitled to a defense under the Constitution.
‘I have no problem representing somebody like Larry Nassar.
‘I actually feel like I get energized from the fact that other people don’t understand and don’t appreciate what our Constitution is about.’
Not laughing now: Newburg and Nassar share a quiet moment on Wednesday in court (above)
Cowering coward: Nassar continued to hid his face during some of the impact statements
Smith said she has received death threats and angry phone calls and emails.
She has even notified police. Nonetheless, she says she’s undeterred.
‘At first I’m terrified but then when I realize the people are actually far away, it’s very obvious they have no education and I can’t imagine the resources to come to Michigan to get me, but it’s certainly been scary,’ she said.
‘I look into each one and I have taken some of them over to police.’
Smith maintains that the public is not privy to the same information that she saw.
‘When you are not a lawyer on the case seeing the evidence, it’s really easy to Monday morning quarterback,’ she said.
‘When I see the opinions coming in on Nassar’s criminal case, I almost laugh sometimes and wonder if they were in the same courtroom as me.
‘And it’s because there is so much evidence that the general public does not have access to.’