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Children File Wrongful Death Suit against Noted Computer Programmer Father for Death of Mother

Four years ago, a noted computer programmer was convicted of killing his wife. On July 11, 2012 he found himself back in court, defending himself against the wrongful death lawsuit brought on by his two children.

Hans Reiser was convicted of murdering his wife, Nina Reiser, during a 2008 custody dispute. Reiser is well-known in California programming circles for his ReiserFS computer file system. The conviction for the killing of his wife resulted in a 15 years-to-life prison sentence.

Irina Sharanova, Nina Reiser’s mother, filed the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of 11-year-old Niorline and 12-year-old Rory. The children are currently living in Nina Reiser’s home country of Russia.

The damages being sought are in excess of $7 million. It is not sure whether they can win and collect. Hans Reiser is representing himself, stating he cannot afford a lawyer and indigent defendants aren’t given the right to have a public defender in civil cases.

Jury selection began on July 10th in which Reiser appeared in his prison garb guarded by sheriff’s deputies as he and the children’s’ lawyer began picking a jury.

It has been reported that Reiser told the potential jurors that he had terrible things to say about lawyers and asked them if they could respect a person and be fair to someone who believes murder was committed to keep harm from coming to the children. One prospective juror responded that it is never moral to kill any person despite the reason.

During the criminal trial, Reiser had stated that he was innocent and suggested that his wife had gone to Russia because her body had not been recovered. After he was convicted, he left authorities to her body, which was buried in Oakland Hills. Leading authorities to her body reduced the initial charge to second-degree murder instead of second-degree.

Wrongful death lawsuits can be complex and time-consuming. If you are considering a wrongful death lawsuit, we encourage you to contact a Minneapolis wrongful death lawyer at TSR Injury Law to learn more about your legal options. Your consultation is free and there are no upfront fees if we take on your case. Ph: (612) TSR-TIME.

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