Jim Morrison's Lawyer Refutes Oliver Stone's Depiction of Late Star in 'The Doors'

In a recent interview with the New York Times, the lawyer who defended Jim Morrison against his infamous 1969 Florida indecent exposure charge discussed his relationship with the legendary Doors singer. As one of the last living members of Morrison's trial counsel, Robert C. Josefsberg said that the two "hit it off" immediately and that he was a "very nice person," contrary to Val Kilmer's portrayal in Oliver Stone's 'The Doors' biopic.

"Oliver Stone, with all due respect, is a revisionist," Josefsberg told the Times. "In the movie Jim was portrayed as a selfish druggie and he wasn't. He was a very nice person, a nice, decent human being with a very good sense of humor. We spent a lot of time with notepads, passing notes back and forth to each other, and he was very perceptive, very bright. He understood everything going on around him. And for the three weeks I was with him, he was sober."

Josefsberg also addressed the possibility of Morrison, who died in 1971, receiving a posthumous pardon by Florida governor Charlie Crist, arguing that while Morrison never showed the remorse or rehabilitation required to deserve the state's pardon, his arrest was an "overreaction."

"People were terribly offended by what he did," Josefsberg said. "And I think it got blown out of proportion, as most things do. It gathered its own steam and fed off itself, and it became an atrocious thing. Not that I'm saying dropping your pants in public is acceptable. It's not. It's also not the worst thing in the world that ever happened. I'm not justifying his behavior -- I think there was an overreaction."

Josefsberg sought to clear the record regarding Morrison, whose music he still listens to with joy. "He was a gifted musician. Then again, being a gifted musician does not justify antisocial behavior. He was gifted, there's no question about it. His music is still wonderful, and his poetry that I have is pretty good. He's not a drunk devil, and he's not God. He's a human being and very nice person. I wish he hadn't done a stupid thing that night, and I wish he hadn't done a stupider thing in a bathtub in Paris. But I don't get to vote."
Watch the Doors Perform 'Touch Me'