The parents of a convicted killer are trying to fund his defense by suing his lawyers.

Last May a Los Angeles jury found Howard Bloomgarden guilty of plotting to kidnap and murder two men in 1994. One of the victims was Peter Kovach, 26, who was Bloomgarden's roommate while the two attended college in Miami and his operative in a nationwide marijuana ring until they had a falling out.

CHARLES BLOOMGARDEN, ET AL., APPELLANTS, V. ROBERTA F. MANDEL, ET AL., APPELLEES

Case no.: 3D14-556

Date: Dec. 31, 2014

Case type: Attorney charging lien

Court: Third District Court of Appeal

Author of opinion: Judge Edwin A. Scales III

Lawyer for petitioners: Stanley E. Orzechowski, Law Offices of Stanley E. Orzechowski, New York

Lawyers for respondents: Matthew H. Ginder and Gregg J. Breitbart, Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck, Boca Raton, and Vincent S. Green, Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck, Los Angeles

Panel: Scales, Chief Judge Frank A. Shepherd and Judge Barbara Lagoa

Originating court: Miami-Dade Circuit Court