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Phil Spector

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The jury foreman in the Phil Spector murder trial reported to the judge that the jury is deadlocked at 7-5 and there is no way they will get anyone to budge. When polled individually by the judge, some jurors agreed with what the foreman said but others said they thought that perhaps some re-reading of the instructions and definition of reasonable doubt would also be helpful.

 

Seizing on the statements of those individual jurors, the judge denied the defense's request for a mistrial and instead sent the jury home with instructions to return on Wednesday.

 

The judge told the attorneys for both sides that he was reconsidering his statement last week that Spector can only be tried for 2nd degree murder and not for manslaughter. The judge went on to say that he may allow the jury to consider manslaughter after all.

 

This is a very tough call for the judge. It is my opinion that even if he has attorneys reargue portions of the case, that trying to now let the jury decide about manslaughter is not going to hold up on appeal. If you let the judge do that, then if the jury is deadlocked again, he theoretically could keep moving down the chain of crimes until he finds one the jury will convict on.

 

The prudent thing to do would be to declare a mistrial and then the District Attorney's office would have to decide whether or not to retry (they would) but perhaps the DA would only proceed with the manslaughter charge from the outset. If the DA's office declined to bring any charges after a mistrial is declared, then of course Spector would be free to go. Not very likely in such a high profile case.

 

The judge will probably provide the information some of the jurors requested individually and send them back to deliberate in the hopes they can reach a decision. My guess is that the jurors won't change their mind, but said what they did to the judge because it is very intimidating to be polled individually in front of everyone and will often say whatever they think the judge wants them to say.

 

 

Crazydaysandnights

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Mistrial declared in Phil Spector murder case

 

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(CNN) -- A judge declared a mistrial in the murder case against music legend Phil Spector after a jury announced for the second time in a week that it was hopelessly deadlocked.

 

The jury deliberated for 12 days without reaching a unanimous verdict.

 

Spector went on trial in April, charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of B-movie queen Lana Clarkson after a night in the nightclubs of Hollywood.

 

Judge Larry Fidler told attorneys to return to his Los Angeles, California, courtroom next week to discuss the next legal move.

 

Spector, 67, did not take the witness stand at the trial.

 

Deliberations were arduous, entering the third week on Monday. Last week, jurors received new instructions on the law and were told to start over after the foreman declared the panel was deadlocked, 7-5.

 

The jury's inability to reach a verdict capped a five-month trial that played like a Hollywood film noir classic -- with a twist of the bizarre.

 

A 6-foot-tall, blue-eyed blonde with a toothpaste commercial smile, Clarkson was known for her roles in "Barbarian Queen" and "Amazon Women on the Moon." But at 40 the parts were few and far between and she had taken a $9-an-hour job as a VIP hostess at the House of Blues in Hollywood.

 

Spector invented the "wall of sound" in the 1960s and worked with the Beatles, Ike and Tina Turner and other acts. Normally reclusive, Spector had spent a rare night out on the town, found Clarkson at the House of Blues at closing time and invited her home for a drink in the wee hours of February 3, 2003.

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After initially turning him down, she agreed to accompany him, according to testimony.

 

Hours later, police were summoned to Spector's mansion in Alhambra, a suburb of Los Angeles. The diminutive music producer had wandered into the driveway in the pre-dawn and told his Brazilian-born chauffeur, "I think I killed somebody," according to the driver's testimony.

 

Clarkson was found inside, slumped in a chair in the foyer. She had been shot in the mouth. A .38-caliber Colt Special revolver lay at her feet. It appeared someone had attempted to clean up the blood with a diaper found in the guest bathroom.

 

At issue was whether Spector pulled the trigger -- or whether Clarkson did. In photos projected on a large screen, the gruesome crime scene resembled a set decorated for a horror film.

 

In all, 77 witnesses testified and more than 600 pieces of evidence were submitted. The evidence cart wheeled into the jury room was piled high with exhibits.

 

The jury even toured the scene of the alleged crime.

 

Five women, including one who once worked for Joan Rivers, took the stand to testify for prospectors that Spector had gotten drunk and threatened them with guns when they tried to leave.

 

Several of the victim's so-called friends, including one who went by the name "Punkin' Pie" Laughlin, testified for the defense, portraying Clarkson, 40, as a suicidal has-been despondent over her failing career.

 

The experts' testimony differed widely on what the physical evidence showed.

 

Prosecutors pointed to the leopard print purse slung over Clarkson's shoulder as evidence she was trying to leave when she was shot.

 

The defense argued that blood spatter evidence on the white women's jacket Spector worse showed he was standing too far away to place the gun in Clarkson's mouth.

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Spector hired and fired a who's who of legal talent for his defense. High profile defense attorneys who have left the case include Leslie Abramson and Bruce Cutler.

 

He also changed hairstyles several times during the trial, and wore flamboyant clothing, including frock coats and pastel-colored ties and pocket handkerchiefs. E-mail to a friend

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Just notice ther are two threads...original is here

 

How do we combine?

Send a message to Princess with the links for each thread and ask her to combine ;)

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Accused murderer Phil Spector's case against attorney Robert Shapiro is frivolous and has no merit, a source tells PageSix.com.

 

The "wall of sound" producer filed a breach of contract suit last week claiming that Shapiro coerced him into paying a million-dollar retainer during a time when he was under a great deal of stress, and off medication.

 

While the insanity defense is always popular, our source close to the case says it'll be hard to prove here... because the retainer agreement was okayed by Spector's business manager first! Further, Shapiro worked on the case for more than a year, and found the pathological experts who were used during the eccentric Spector's trial (which ended in a hung jury in September).

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DEATH OF SPECTOR WITNESS WILL 'NOT AFFECT' RETRIAL

 

 

The death of a woman who testified against PHIL SPECTOR at his murder trial last year (07) won't affect the music producer's upcoming second trial, prosecutors claim. Diane Ogden was one of four female prosecution witnesses who took the stand to accuse Spector of threatening them with a gun. The 61-year-old died at her Utah home on 29 December (07). The cause of death is unknown. But prosecutors insist Ogden's passing will not have an adverse affect on their case at Spector's retrial. Los Angeles district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons says, "(Her) death is a tragedy, but it should not affect the upcoming trial." Spector is accused of murdering actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra, California mansion in 2003. His original murder trial was ruled a mistrial in September (07) when jurors couldn't agree unanimously on a guilty verdict. A retrial is due to commence later this year (08).

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Spector Kills on Red Carpet

 

 

Wearing a modified "Golden Girl" chestnut brown wig, lady killer Phil Spector, 68, perkily appeared at a red carpet event in Beverly Hills this week with his living 27-year-old blonde wife, Rachelle -- who happens to look shockingly like the late Lana Clarkson. He's unbeweaveable!

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Phil Spector wants LA judge dismissed from murder retrial

 

(03-13) 12:19 PDT Los Angeles (AP) --

 

Attorneys for Phil Spector want to remove the judge from his pending murder retrial.

 

The defense filed a 44-page motion on Wednesday contending that Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler was biased in favor of the prosecution during Spector's first trial last year.

 

That trial ended in a jury deadlock.

 

The motion argues that people could conclude Fidler sought a guilty verdict, in part to counter media reports that a celebrity could not be convicted in the Los Angeles court.

 

Spector is accused of shooting and killing actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion five years ago. The defense has claimed the shooting was self-inflicted, either an accident or suicide.

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Actress' death center stage at Spector retrial

 

 

(10-29) 11:51 PDT Los Angeles, CA (AP) --

 

A prosecutor on Wednesday portrayed eccentric musical genius Phil Spector as man who repeatedly threatened women with guns and could become "very sinister, very violent and very deadly" when he was drunk and confronted with the right circumstances.

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Prosecutor Alan Jackson took aim at Spector during his opening statement in the murder retrial of Spector in the 2003 death of actress Lana Clarkson. Spector is accused of shooting her after she resisted his sexual advances.

 

In a speech reminiscent of the one he gave at the first trial, Jackson briefly described the killing of Clarkson at Spector's mansion and flashed pictures on a screen showing her in life and death.

 

One image showed her body slumped in a chair with blood all over her face.

 

He also recounted the statement of a chauffeur who told of Spector emerging from the house, saying, "'I think I killed somebody.'"

 

However, most of Jackson's opening statement dealt with a long line of women stretching over 30 years whom he said were threatened with death by a gun-wielding Spector

 

He showed photos of five of them interspersed with quotes from their previous testimony, profane voicemail messages left for them by Spector and in one case a video excerpt from the testimony of a witness who has since died.

 

In the footage, Diane Ogden pointed a finger at her head and testified about Spector holding a gun to her face. "He said he was going to blow my brains out," she testified.

 

The opening statement by the defense was expected later in the day.

 

It's been a year since the jury in Spector's first trial deadlocked 10-2 with the majority favoring conviction.

 

In the first trial, the defense argued the 40-year-old Clarkson became despondent over her fading career and killed herself.

 

There were no witnesses to the shooting and Spector didn't testify.

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Closing Arguments Set for Phil Spector Murder Trial – Again

 

Finally, it may all be coming to an end. On Wednesday, the jury in the long-gestating murder trial of Phil Spector is expected to begin deliberations after hearing closing arguments from the prosecution and defense.

 

The music producer, 69, is charged with second-degree murder stemming from the shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson at his home in 2003. His first trial ended in 2007 with a deadlocked jury.

 

On Tuesday, Spector's attorney, Doron Weinberg, told the jury Clarkson killed herself, and presented 14 points of forensic evidence as proof, reports the Associated Press. The day before a prosecutor told the jury Spector was a "demonic maniac."

 

Spector faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted, although the jury will be allowed to consider a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

– Joey Bartolomeo

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Phil Spector found guilty of actress' 2003 murder

 

 

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A jury has found music legend Phil Spector guilty of secnd-degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of an actress at his home in Alahambra, California.

 

The jury returned the verdict in a Los Angeles courtroom shortly after 5 p.m. ET on Monday.

 

The six men and six women began their deliberations on March 26. They deliberated for about 30 hours.

 

Jurors had to decide whether Spector, 69 was guilty of second-degree murder or a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

 

Spector, 69, was charged in the death of Lana Clarkson, 40, who was found dead, slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector's home with a gunshot wound through the roof of her mouth.

 

A mistrial was declared in Spector's first trial in September 2007. After deliberating 15 days, jurors told Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler that they were unable to reach a verdict. Spector was also charged with second-degree murder in that trial.

 

In closing arguments at the retrial, prosecutor Truc Do called Spector "a very dangerous man" who "has a history of playing Russian roulette with women -- six women. Lana just happened to be the sixth."

 

She pointed out that Clarkson bought new shoes on the day she died -- something a suicidal woman would not do.

 

Co-prosecutor Alan Jackson urged jurors to find justice for Clarkson. "Philip Spector is guilty of Lana Clarkson's murder. She is entitled to your justice," he said. "Philip Spector had his hand on that gun, and Lana Clarkson ended up dead."

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Defense attorney Doron Weinberg argued that the prosecution's case hinged on circumstantial evidence. He said the possibility that Clarkson committed suicide could not be ruled out.

 

In the 2007 trial, Spector's attorneys argued that Clarkson was depressed over a recent breakup and grabbed a .38-caliber pistol to kill herself while at Spector's home.

 

But prosecution witnesses painted Spector as a gun-toting menace. Five women took the stand to tell harrowing stories of being threatened with firearms by Spector. And his driver testified that he heard a loud noise and saw the producer leave the home, pistol in hand, saying, "I think I killed somebody."

 

The jury deadlocked, 10-2 in favor of conviction.

 

Spector's second trial began in October. Fidler ruled that jurors can consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter against Spector.

 

If convicted of second-degree murder, Spector could face a prison sentence of 15 years to life, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. An involuntary manslaughter conviction could bring a prison sentence of up to four years.

 

Clarkson starred in 1985's "Barbarian Queen" and the 1987 spoof "Amazon Women on the Moon" but was working as a VIP hostess at Hollywood's House of Blues at the time of her death.

 

Spector has won two Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, but he stayed out of the public eye for two decades before his 2003 arrest in Clarkson's death.

 

In the 1960s, he became famous as the man behind the "Wall of Sound," an instrumentally dense swirl of melody and percussion underlying such tunes as the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and Ike and Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High."

 

He later produced the Beatles' "Let It Be" album, John Lennon's "Imagine" and the Ramones' "End of the Century.

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Phil Spector gets 19 years to life for murder of actress

NEW: Music producer sentenced for 2003 slaying of Lana Clarkson

By Alan Duke

CNN

 

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Music producer Phil Spector was sentenced Friday to the maximum sentence of 19 years to life for the murder six years ago of actress Lana Clarkson.

 

Phil Spector's first murder trial in 2007 ended in a mistrial as jurors said they couldn't reach a verdict.

 

That means Spector, 69, would be 88 before he would be eligible for parole.

 

Slumped, stone-faced and wearing a dark suit and bright red tie, he sat silently throughout his sentencing by Judge Larry Paul Fidler.

 

Spector's lawyer gave a $17,000 check to Donna Clarkson, the victim's mother, to pay for her funeral expenses -- part of the court-ordered sentence.

 

"All of our plans together are destroyed," the mother said, reading a statement on behalf of her family. "Now, I can only visit her at the cemetery."

 

Fidler denied a motion for a new trial by defense attorney Doron Weinberg, who said he would file an appeal.

 

"The evidence did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he is guilty for the simple reason [that] he did not kill Lana Clarkson," Weinberg said.

 

Clarkson, 40, was found dead -- slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector's Alhambra, California, mansion with a gunshot wound through the roof of her mouth -- in February 2003.

 

Spector's trial, which began in October, ended last month when jurors deliberated for 30 hours and then announced a guilty verdict on the second-degree murder charge. Fidler had ruled jurors also could consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

 

Spector's first murder trial in 2007 ended in a mistrial as jurors said they couldn't reach a verdict after 15 days of deliberations. Jurors then were deadlocked 10-2 in favor of conviction.

 

Fidler declined to allow Spector to remain free on bail pending sentencing, citing Spector's years-long "pattern of violence" involving firearms.

 

"This was not an isolated incident," Fidler said, noting Spector's two firearms-related convictions from the 1970s. "The taking of an innocent human life, it doesn't get any more serious than that."

 

In closing arguments at the retrial, prosecutor Truc Do called Spector "a very dangerous man" who "has a history of playing Russian roulette with women -- six women. Lana just happened to be the sixth."

 

Weinberg argued that the prosecution's case hinged on circumstantial evidence. He said the possibility that Clarkson committed suicide could not be ruled out.

 

Do pointed out to jurors, however, that Clarkson had bought new shoes on the day of her death -- something he said a suicidal woman would not have done.

 

A female juror who declined to be identified told reporters the jurors considered all the evidence and testimony to reach their verdict.

 

"This entire jury took this so seriously," she said with tears in her eyes, before adding that "it's tough to be in a jury," because another person's life is in the jury's hands.

 

Clarkson starred in the 1985 B-movie "Barbarian Queen" and appeared in many other films, including "Deathstalker," "Blind Date," "Scarface," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and the spoof "Amazon Women on the Moon." She was working as a VIP hostess at Hollywood's House of Blues at the time of her death.

 

In the 2007 trial, Spector's attorneys argued that Clarkson was depressed over a recent breakup and grabbed a .38-caliber pistol to kill herself while at Spector's home.

 

But prosecution witnesses painted Spector as a gun-toting menace. Five women took the stand and testified that he had threatened them with firearms. His driver testified that he heard a loud noise and saw the producer leave the home, pistol in hand, saying, "I think I killed somebody."

 

Spector's professional trademark was the "Wall of Sound," the layering of instrumental tracks and percussion that underpinned a string of hits on his Philles label -- named for Spector and his business partner, Lester Sill -- in the early 1960s.

 

The roaring arrangements were the heart of what he called "little symphonies for the kids" -- among them No. 1 hits like the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."

 

Spector co-produced the Beatles' final album, "Let It Be," and worked with ex-Beatles George Harrison and John Lennon on solo projects after the group broke up. His recording of Harrison's 1971 benefit concert for war relief in Bangladesh won the 1972 Grammy award for album of the year.

 

That was one of two Grammy Awards won by Spector, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. He stayed out of the public eye for two decades before his 2003 arrest in Clarkson's death.

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Yesterday I just happened to watch "I Dream of Jeannie" for the first time in about 20 years. Phil Spector was on it as himself and not having ever seen him before the mug shot - I was shocked by how... uncrazy... he looked.

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Phil Spector Mug Shot: The Naked Truth About the Convicted Murderer

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During his trial for the murder of Lana Clarkson, Phil Spector became as well known for his collection of wacky wigs as for his love of guns and often bizarre behavior around women.

 

Click here to take a look at Phil wigging out over the years!

 

But when it came time to say cheese for his official police and prison shots, authorities have enforced their “off with your wig” policies

 

Spector, 69, was sentenced last month to 19 years in prison. This official portrait was taken when he checked in to the North Kern State Prison Reception Center in Delano, California.

 

Spector will have remain wig-less during his stay.

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Spector wants TV, music player for new prison cell

 

 

By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch, Ap Special Correspondent – Wed Jun 24, 6:57 am ET

 

LOS ANGELES – Phil Spector is hoping to get a few comforts of home in his new prison cell, and a television, iPod and computer access are at the top of his list.

 

The music producer was transferred this week to the largest state prison in California where he will serve his sentence of 19 years to life for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson.

 

As a medium-security inmate, Spector can make some requests for items he wants in his cell, and his wife acknowledges her husband is already creating a list.

 

"He wants a TV and an iPod or something like that for listening to music," Rachelle Spector said Tuesday. "And he would like to be able to receive e-mail."

 

Phil Spector, 69, is at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison at Corcoran, where more than 6,900 other inmates are housed.

 

Prison officials said Phil Spector may even be allowed a musical instrument, noting that some state inmates have made similar requests and play together in groups. However, Rachelle Spector said her husband doesn't plan to make much music behind bars.

 

"He has not requested an instrument, and I doubt if he will," she said.

 

Rachelle Spector said she was relieved her husband was out of North Kern State Prison, where he has been undergoing evaluation since his conviction in April. She said he wrote a letter detailing alleged abuse at the prison such as being forced to sleep naked on the floor for two nights and eating out of a bowl with his hands "like a dog."

 

The prison does not mistreat inmates and the actions described by the Spectors "would be a violation of policies and laws," said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections. Thornton said any report of misconduct would be investigated.

 

Phil Spector was placed in the "sensitive-needs facility" of his new prison and was given a single cell, Thornton said.

 

Spector's notoriety probably got him into that housing area, Lt. Stephen Smith said. The typical inmate in the section is a former gang member who has dropped out of a gang and needs protection, Smith said.

 

Spector is not the first celebrity to be sent to the facility. Robert Downey Jr. served time there in 1999 for a probation violation in a drug conviction. He wound up counseling other inmates before he was released.

 

Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2003 death of Clarkson at his home in Alhambra.

 

In his heyday in the early and mid-1960s, Spector produced dozens of hits, including The Ronettes' "Be My Baby," The Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron" and The Righteous Brothers' classic, "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'." Spector also worked on the Beatles album "Let It Be" and John Lennon's album, "Imagine."

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Appeal filed in Phil Spector case

 

Lawyers for legendary music producer Phil Spector have asked an appellate court to throw out his second-degree murder conviction on grounds of judicial error and prosecutorial misconduct.

 

In an extremely detailed 148-page brief filed Wednesday, the attorneys cited multiple reasons they believe Spector was denied his right to a fair trial. They asked the California Second District Court of Appeal to reverse the jury verdict and order a new trial.

 

Among the issues raised was the admission of testimony from five women who claimed they were threatened by Spector with guns in years past and the prosecution's use of a videotape of the trial judge commenting on evidence in the case. They said prosecutors improperly used the women's testimony to persuade jurors to convict Spector "based on his bad character and evil propensities." They said that was impermissible under the law.

 

Spector, the 70-year-old rock music producer, is in prison serving a sentence of 19 years to life for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson, who was shot through the mouth in Spector's castle-like mansion seven years ago. Spector's defense team argued that the one-time star of "Barbarian Queen," was depressed and shot herself.

 

It took prosecutors two trials to convict Spector. The first trial ended in a jury deadlock.

 

In the appeal, attorney Dennis Riordan outlined errors he said were committed by Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler in both trials, calling one of the judge's actions "startling."

 

The appeal said that occurred when Fidler allowed prosecutors in the second trial to show jurors a videotape from a hearing held outside the presence of Spector and his jury in the first trial. On the tape, they said, the judge was seen interpreting the action of a key forensic witness testifying about the position of blood spatter on Clarkson's body.

 

Riordan said that in final arguments prosecutors showed side-by-side photos of the forensic witness and the judge and pointed to them as "persons who supplied crucial evidence supporting a guilty verdict."

 

They quoted from a transcript in which the judge resolved a conflict over where a blood spot was located. The judge later refused to exclude his own comments saying he had the right to say what he observed in court.

 

"Under California law, a judge may not offer evidence in a trial over which he presides," said the appeal, adding that Fidler could not be cross-examined by the defense on what the prosecution told jurors was the most crucial issue of the case -- whether blood spatter evidence showed who pulled the trigger on the gun.

 

"The evidence was profoundly conflicted on the one issue at the center of the case: who was holding the firearm when it discharged" the appeal said.

 

Riordan, a highly regarded San Francisco appellate lawyer, was joined by his partner, Donald M. Horgan and well known San Diego attorney Charles Sevilla in filing the appeal.

 

Among their arguments were claims that the prosecutors' inflammatory language in closing arguments and their "vituperative attacks on the integrity of defense counsel and the expert witnesses...passed over the line separating aggressive advocacy from prosecutorial misconduct."

 

They cited Deputy District attorney Alan Jackson's final argument in which he accused defense attorneys of soliciting untruthful testimony from expert witnesses by paying them huge fees. They called that egregious misconduct.

 

The appeal quoted Jackson as telling jurors: "How does homicide become a suicide? Just write a big fat check...Just go out and buy yourself a scientist."

 

After those comments to the jury, defense attorney Doron Weinberg moved for a mistrial claiming the remarks were prejudicial, saying Jackson was accusing him of paying people to lie.

 

The judge turned down the motion and commented it was "a fair inference that if you pay them enough they will say anything," the appeal said.

 

The appeal focused heavily on Fidler's decision to allow testimony from five women who had dated Spector in the past, some in decades before, who told of his penchant for threatening women with guns. The lawyers said the incidents they described did not meet the test of similarity to the events surrounding Clarkson's death.

 

"None of the...evidence involved events in which Mr. Spector put a gun in someone's mouth, much less fired it."

 

The appeal said the judge also improperly allowed the prosecution to assert that Spector "had a history and propensity of violence against women and thus should be convicted based on his bad character and evil propensities."

 

The lawyers said there was "a cumulative prejudicial impact" on jurors which "cannot be deemed harmless given the inflammatory and lurid manner in which the prosecution made use of the material in closing arguments."

 

They noted that Jackson and Deputy District Attorney Truc Do used the term "pattern" 40 times in closing arguments to describe Spector's behavior.

 

The state attorney general's office, which is to file a reply brief next month, did not return a call seeking comment.

 

source:http://sfgate.com

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Music legend Phil Spector roughed up for mouthing off to fellow inmate, says pal Steven Escobar

 

 

 

Has Phil Spector gotten a bloody taste of jail-yard justice? The hot-tempered music legend is minding his tongue after having several teeth knocked out by a fellow inmate at the state prison in Corcoran, Calif., two Spector confidants tell us.

 

"Phil has quite a mouth on him," says longtime pal and defender Steven Escobar. "Not everyone understands his humor. He said the wrong thing to the wrong inmate in the yard."

 

Lacking any of his trusty firearms, Spector wound up with a bruised nose, black eye and the loss of a couple of caps, according to Escobar.

 

"He mouthed off to a big guy, who punched him," concurs another source close to Spector, who's serving 19-to-life for fatally shooting actress Lana Clarkson in the mouth in 2003.

 

"At first, Phil said he fell down a flight of stairs," says Escobar. "Later, he told family and friends what really happened."

 

A spokesman for Spector's wife, Rachelle, initially corroborated that there was an incident in November, telling us:

 

"There are still safety concerns. We don't want the people who put him in this position to retaliate."

 

But later, Rachelle called to say, "Phil was not assaulted. Absolutely not."

 

A Corcoran spokesman, Lt. Stephen Smith, says: "We have no reports that he was involved in any altercations."

 

Spector, 70, did visit a dentist outside of prison in December. Rachelle maintains that was only because "he had an abscess and issues with crowns and implants."

 

Mrs. Spector, 29, argues that "anyone who meets Phil loves him. He's so freakin' funny. He's an idol to the other inmates. They look out for him. They also know he was wrongfully convicted."

 

But Spector himself complained about his fellow prisoners in a letter to Escobar last August: "These lowlife scumbag gangsters kill you here for a 39-cent bag of soup!"

 

Spector also said he was alarmed when a guard delivered a note from fellow Corcoran convict Charles Manson, proposing that he and Spector collaborate on some music. (A prison spokesman said the letter was a fake.)

 

Spector's missive earned him a "dressing down from officials," says Escobar. "They wanted him to read a phony speech about what a wonderful time he was having in Camp Prison ... almost like they had a gun to his head. They also jerked him around ... didn't give him his meds. That spooked him to a point where he hasn't communicated with anybody."

 

Prison officials deny they pressured or punished Spector. Says Rachelle: "My husband's safety is the prison's No. 1 priority. They have him segregated in a sensitive-needs ward. All his health concerns are being taken care of."

 

While describing him as "fragile," Rachelle says her husband is "very upbeat" after his attorneys filed a 148-page brief last week that seeks to overturn his murder conviction.

 

The former Playboy model also says he's excited that an album they worked on before his conviction will come out June 8. "I do lead vocals," she chirps.

 

"My husband is so proud of me, and I'm so proud of him for withstanding what he's withstanding." Whatever that may be.

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I just had to add his picture :1smile:

 

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Do you think that this is what Frodo will look like in about a 1000 years?

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