The Region : Witness Suing Landis, Co-Defendants

A cameraman who gave damaging testimony at the “Twilight Zone” manslaughter trial revealed that he is suing the defendants, director John Landis and four associates, over injuries he suffered in a fatal helicopter crash on the set. Roger Lee Smith made the admission during cross-examination by defense attorney Leonard Levine, who represents Dan Allingham, one of the defendants. Levine said he brought Smith’s civil suit to light to show that the cameraman has a financial interest in the defendants’ being convicted. “Obviously, if these men are found guilty, his civil suit alleging negligence and recklessness is going to be a lot easier to prove than if they’re found not guilty,” Levine said. The lawyer said that if the defendants are convicted, Smith could enter that fact as evidence at the trial of his civil suit, which seeks unspecified general damages.