Robert Blake - Blake Offers In-Laws A Settlement

Actor ROBERT BLAKE's initial offer to end his legal feud with his late wife's family has been rejected.

The former BARETTA star, who was acquitted of the murder of BONNY LEE BAKLEY last month (16MAR05), still faces a civil suit filed by her family, who still maintain the actor is guilty.

Blake has reportedly offered Bakley's kin $75,000 (GBP39,470) to settle the suit, but a lawyer for the family has flatly rejected the offer.

Blake's lawyer M GERALD SCHWARTZBACH has already told Bakleyfamily attorney ERIC DUBIN not to expect a huge payout as his client is in tax debt.

However, Dubin is convinced Blake is just as interested in avoiding bad publicity, as OJ SIMPSON was shunned when he was found innocent of killing his wife and her friend, but later lost a $33.5 million (GBP18 million) civil settlement.

Dubin says, "Robert Blake realises the importance to his future acting prospects of not being proven a murderer in a court of law. He also wants to avoid the stigma that OJ Simpson got after his civil conviction."