You remember that 2011 story. The one about the "helicopter parents from hell" in Irvine, California? It sounded like a rejected plot from a suburban noir novel. Two high-powered attorneys, Jill and Kent Easter, getting so bent out of shape over a playground comment that they decided to ruin a PTA volunteer's life.
The victim, Kelli Peters, was a beloved volunteer at Plaza Vista School. She supposedly told Jill that her son was "a little slow" to line up for pickup. That was it. That was the spark. Jill took it as an insult to her son’s intelligence, rather than a comment on his physical pace. What followed was a bizarre, year-long vendetta that peaked with Kent planting a bag of marijuana, Vicodin, and Percocet in Peters’ car and calling the cops with a fake Indian accent.
But that was years ago. Where are Jill and Kent Easter today?
The Disbarred and the Divorced
If you’re looking for the power couple in a Newport Beach mansion, keep looking. They’re gone. The fallout from the $5.7 million civil judgment and their respective criminal trials basically nuked their old lives. Honestly, it’s a cautionary tale about how fast you can lose a "perfect" life when you let petty grievances drive the bus.
Kent Easter and Jill Easter are no longer married. Their divorce was finalized back in early 2016. It wasn't exactly a quiet split, either. During Kent's criminal trial, his defense strategy was basically, "My wife is the mastermind and I was just a spineless husband who did what she said." That’s one way to handle your wedding vows.
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What happened to Kent Easter?
Kent, once a high-earning partner at a prestigious firm making $400,000 a year, is in a very different spot now.
- His Law License: It’s dead. The California State Bar officially disbarred him in 2017. He can’t practice law in the state, which is a massive blow for someone who spent years building a corporate legal career.
- Financial Status: He filed for bankruptcy around the time of the civil trial. He told the court he was living with his parents and trying to scrap together work as a "legal consultant," which is a tough sell when your name is synonymous with framing a PTA mom.
- The Debt: He did eventually pay a significant, though undisclosed, sum to Kelli Peters to settle his portion of the $5.7 million judgment.
Jill Easter’s New Identity: Ava Everheart
Jill Easter didn't just move on; she tried to delete the old version of herself. She legally changed her name to Ava Everheart. She even tried to launch a career as a crime novelist—ironic, right?—under the name Ava Bjork.
She popped up on Dr. Phil a few years back, still insisting she was innocent despite her guilty plea. It was... uncomfortable. She portrayed herself as a victim of a "corrupt" system. Most viewers didn't buy it. As of 2026, she maintains a much lower profile than her ex-husband, though her name change makes her slightly harder to track for the casual googler.
The $5.7 Million Judgment
You’ve probably wondered if Kelli Peters ever actually saw that money. In these high-profile civil cases, the "award" is often just a number on a piece of paper. If the defendants have no assets, the victim gets nothing.
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The Easters tried the "shell game" approach. They transferred their million-dollar Irvine home to Jill’s father right after they were arrested to keep it out of Peters' hands. It didn't totally work. While Jill (Ava) eventually dropped her appeals, Kent’s settlement provided some measure of financial restitution for the Peters family.
It wasn't just about the cash, though. For Peters, it was about the public acknowledgement that she wasn't a drug-addicted "erratic driver." It took five years of her life to get that validation.
Where are they now?
Finding the exact street address of Jill and Kent Easter today is tricky, and frankly, they’ve earned their obscurity. Kent has largely stayed out of the headlines since his disbarment. He’s a middle-aged guy with a ruined reputation trying to exist in a world that remembers his fake accent better than his legal briefs.
Jill/Ava has floated through different social circles. At one point, she was reported to be living in Havana, Cuba, according to her own social media updates from years ago. She’s tried to rebrand as a "survivor" and an author, but the "PTA Mom Framer" tag is hard to scrub off.
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The legacy of the Irvine PTA scandal
This case changed how people look at "parental involvement." It became the gold standard for what happens when privilege meets a lack of impulse control.
- Reputation is fragile. You can spend 20 years building a law career and 20 minutes destroying it with a bag of weed and a payphone.
- The Internet is forever. Every time a prospective employer or neighbor searches for them, the mugshots are the first thing that pops up.
- DNA doesn't lie. They were caught because Kent's DNA was on the drugs and the pipe. In 2026, forensics are even better, making this kind of "frame job" nearly impossible to pull off.
If you’re ever feeling "wronged" by a volunteer at your kid’s school, take a breath. Look at the Easters. They lost their careers, their marriage, their home, and their reputations.
The best way to handle a "slow line" at school? Just wait your turn.
Actionable Takeaways
- Check Professional Standing: If you are hiring a legal consultant in California, always check the State Bar of California website to ensure they aren't disbarred.
- Understand Civil Judgments: If you are ever involved in a lawsuit, know that "winning" the award is only half the battle; collecting it often involves navigating bankruptcy filings and asset transfers.
- Protect Your Reputation: If you're a victim of a false report, act fast. Kelli Peters won because she cooperated immediately with police and consented to searches, proving she had nothing to hide.