Peter Knecht was a criminal defense attorney who represented clients such as David Crosby, Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, John Barrymore Jr. and Robert Downey Jr., among others, over a 50-plus year career.

Knecht also appeared as a legal analyst on local and national television, including expert commentary on CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox. His high-profile cases were at times featured on television as well, including segments on The Today Show, Good Morning America and Celebrity Justice. He is credited with changing search and seizure laws by taking adverse rulings to the Supreme Courts of California and the United States.

Knecht was born in 1936 in Vienna, Austria, and moved to America with his family during World War II. He attended the University of Southern California and Southwestern College of Law, later serving as district attorney for Beverly Hills and Malibu before entering private practice. His autobiography, Blood & Justice on the Sunset Strip, will be published posthumously.

Knecht died on October 3, 2014, in Los Angeles. He was 78.