The $5.7 Million Downfall: What Happened To Jill And Kent Easter, The Lawyers Who Framed A PTA Mom?

The story of Jill and Kent Easter remains one of the most bizarre and cautionary tales of parental rivalry spiraling into felony crime in Orange County, California. As of late 2024, the couple—once high-powered attorneys—have faced the full consequences of their actions, including criminal convictions, permanent disbarment, and a multi-million-dollar civil judgment that irrevocably changed their lives.

Their calculated revenge plot against elementary school volunteer Kelli Peters, which involved planting prescription drugs and marijuana in her car, exposed a dark underbelly of status competition and entitlement. The fallout has been extensive, resulting in jail time, the loss of their professional licenses, and a public name change for Jill Easter as she attempts to start a new life as a crime novelist.

Jill and Kent Easter: A Biographical Profile and Timeline of Crime

The Easters were the epitome of the affluent, highly educated Orange County power couple, living in Irvine and later Newport Beach. Their lives, however, were shattered by a petty dispute over their son's pickup time at an elementary school.

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• Names: Jill Bjorkholm Easter (now Ava Everheart); Kent Wycliffe Easter.
• Ages (at time of arrest, 2012): Both were 38.
• Education:
  • Kent Easter: Stanford University (undergrad) and UCLA Law School.
  • Jill Easter: UC Berkeley Law School.
• Former Professions: Both were practicing attorneys in California. Kent was a contract lawyer, and Jill was a former Big Law associate who had become a stay-at-home mom.
• The Victim: Kelli Peters, a beloved PTA volunteer and former president at their son's school in Irvine.
• The Crime: In February 2011, the couple planted bags of marijuana, Vicodin, and Percocet in Kelli Peters' car, then called the police anonymously to report her for erratic driving and drug possession.
• The Charges: Conspiracy to procure false arrest, false imprisonment, and false reporting of a crime.
• The Motivation: Revenge after Kelli Peters allegedly locked their son out of the school for a few minutes during pickup, which the Easters perceived as a slight against their family.

The Criminal and Professional Downfall of the Disbarred Attorneys

The legal process against the Easters was lengthy, featuring separate trials and a clear contrast in their outcomes. The evidence, which included surveillance footage and phone records, was damning, proving the plot was a premeditated act of "moral turpitude."

1. Jill Easter’s Guilty Plea and Name Change

In 2014, facing overwhelming evidence, Jill Easter (then Jill Bjorkholm Easter) pleaded guilty to a felony count of false imprisonment by deceit.

• Sentence: She was sentenced to 120 days in jail, three years of probation, and 100 hours of community service.
• Disbarment: Jill was permanently disbarred by the State Bar of California, making her ineligible to practice law again.
• New Identity: Following her conviction, Jill legally changed her name. She initially went by Ava Easter and later changed it again to Ava Everheart.

2. Kent Easter’s Conviction and Disbarment

Kent Easter initially faced a mistrial, as his attorney argued that Jill was the mastermind and goaded him into making the anonymous phone call to the police. However, he was convicted in a retrial of one felony count of false imprisonment by deceit.

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• Sentence: He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of formal probation.
• Disbarment: Kent Easter was disbarred in 2017 after the California Supreme Court upheld the State Bar's recommendation. The State Bar cited his felony conviction and "moral turpitude" as the reason for his permanent removal from the bar.
• Current Status: Having lost his law license, Kent Easter is no longer eligible to practice law in California. His current profession or employment status post-2017 is not publicly known, but he is legally barred from any form of legal practice.

The $5.7 Million Civil Judgment and Financial Ruin

The criminal convictions were only the beginning of the Easters' financial and legal woes. In a separate civil action, victim Kelli Peters, her husband, and their daughter sued Jill and Kent Easter for the emotional distress and humiliation caused by the drug-planting scheme.

3. The Massive Civil Suit Verdict

In 2016, a jury in Orange County Superior Court sided overwhelmingly with Kelli Peters, awarding her a massive $5.7 million verdict against the Easters. The lawsuit alleged that the Easters’ actions caused Peters to suffer severe emotional distress, including panic attacks and anxiety, as she had to endure the shame of being investigated by police in front of her school community.

4. Kent Easter’s Settled Appeal

Kent Easter initially attempted to appeal the jury verdict. However, he eventually dropped his appeal and settled the case with Kelli Peters and her family. While the exact terms of the settlement are confidential, the action finalized the massive financial judgment against him, which likely resulted in substantial asset forfeiture and financial ruin for the former attorney couple.

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The civil suit provided Kelli Peters with a sense of vindication, though she noted the emotional scars would remain.

Jill Easter’s New Life as an Author: Ava Everheart

Perhaps the most fascinating and recent development in the saga is Jill Easter’s attempt to rebrand herself as an author under a new identity. After her conviction and name change to Ava Everheart, she began writing crime novels.

• Pen Name: Jill Easter writes under the pen name Ava Bjork, which she has used for a series of crime novels.
• The Irony: One of her published works, a crime novel titled *Holding House*, is particularly notable for its dark irony. The book, which details a "foolproof" kidnapping plot, was published around the time of her arrest, drawing stark parallels between her fictional work and her real-life criminal conspiracy.
• Life After Jail: By adopting the new name and pursuing a career as a crime writer, Jill Easter (now Ava Everheart) has clearly attempted to distance herself from the notorious Orange County scandal. However, the connection between the disgraced attorney and the author "Ava Bjork" is a well-documented part of her public record.

The Lasting Legacy of the Irvine PTA Scandal

The case of Jill and Kent Easter became a national news sensation, frequently cited in discussions about helicopter parenting, suburban entitlement, and the extreme consequences of petty disputes. The entities involved—the Irvine school district, the Orange County District Attorney's office, and the California State Bar—all played a role in dismantling the Easters' privileged lives.

The former lawyers' actions serve as a powerful reminder that professional status and elite education, including degrees from prestigious institutions like Stanford, UCLA Law, and Berkeley Law, offer no immunity from the law or from the severe consequences of poor moral judgment. The massive civil verdict and subsequent disbarment ensured that the Easters paid a high price, not just in jail time, but also in the permanent loss of their careers and significant financial assets to the victim of their malicious scheme, Kelli Peters.