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| Ten Thousand Motels |
Phil Spector murder trial set to begin
Sessions to air on live television
By Dan Whitcomb, Reuters | March 18, 2007
LOS ANGELES -- The murder trial of pioneering rock producer Phil Spector begins tomorrow, more than four years after a B-movie actress was found shot to death at his castle-like mansion outside Los Angeles.
The trial, delayed repeatedly since Spector was indicted in 2003, will be shown on live television amid fascination with the 1960s musical genius turned recluse who once described himself as having "devils that fight inside me."
Fifty news organizations applied for a seat in the Los Angeles courtroom for the biggest celebrity trial since pop star Michael Jackson's 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges.
Proceedings will start with jury selection involving 300 potential jurors and questionnaires to assess how much media coverage of the case they have absorbed.
Spector, 67, is best known for his innovative "Wall of Sound" recording technique and work with the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, the Beatles, Tina Turner, and Cher.
Spector, who is free on $1 million bail, denies that he killed actress Lana Clarkson in February 2003. He told Esquire magazine in an interview shortly after his arrest that Clarkson "kissed the gun" in a bizarre suicide for reasons he did not understand.
Los Angeles judges have been reluctant to allow cameras in court since the 1995 acquittal of actor and former football star O.J. Simpson on murder charges after a trial telecast live that brought sharp criticism of the city's justice system.
Opening statements in the Spector case are likely to begin in late April or early May, with the trial lasting up to three months.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers both say Clarkson, star of such films as "Amazon Women on the Moon " and "Barbarian Queen, " met Spector the night before her death while working as a waitress at a Sunset Strip rock club.
There is no dispute that the actress was killed early the next morning by a single shot from a .38-caliber revolver in the foyer of Spector's mansion, which was designed to resemble a castle.
But the two sides disagree on the fundamental question of who pulled the trigger.
Prosecutors say it was Spector, who according to pretrial hearings owned a dozen guns and had pulled them on women in the past.
A police officer dispatched to the crime scene is expected to testify that when she arrived, Spector blurted out: "I didn't mean to shoot her, it was an accident."
Spector's chauffeur, Adriano De Souza, is also likely to take the witness stand. He has told authorities the producer emerged from his home holding a gun and saying: "I think I killed somebody."
Defense lawyers say Clarkson put the gun in her mouth and shot herself. They have attacked the credibility
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| glencar |
Guilty as charged! |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
mmmmmmh... he's lost
- He told Esquire magazine in an interview shortly after his arrest that Clarkson "kissed the gun" in a bizarre suicide for reasons he did not understand.
- A police officer dispatched to the crime scene is expected to testify that when she arrived, Spector blurted out: "I didn't mean to shoot her, it was an accident."
- Spector's chauffeur, Adriano De Souza, is also likely to take the witness stand. He has told authorities the producer emerged from his home holding a gun and saying: "I think I killed somebody."
Poor guy, next time be consistent from the beginning. Well, being 67 years old he has no expectations |
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| Bitch |
If there is reasonable doubt he'll get away with murder. Was it accidental murder or suicide? I think it was an accident. |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
I think he did it intentionally, he's a real bastard... ask Ronnie "Spector" or many other women he was with in one way or another. Burn in jail you bastard... send him to the men's club he will have a better sex life there! |
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| fireontheplatter |
wow..he sounds guilty already. i we shall see.
couldn't they have dusted the gun for fingerprints? |
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| glencar |
I don't think even he'll say he didn't touch the gun. The question is did he pull the trigger or did she? And as noted by VC, Phil had a history of mistreating women & he told a cop (!) that he had killed her. It's most likely manslaughter, aka accidental murder.
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| fireontheplatter |
how the heck can you prove accidental murder?
...yes you honour we were pretty buzzed and we were just fooling around with this gun and, well all of a sudden it went off...
will it be a lesser punishment?
this should be interesting. i am always down with a good complicated trial. |
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| pdog |
Do you think his lawyer will play the wall of sound card? |
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| *ginda |
Court TV - here I come. Phil should go for the insanity defense. I'm a little surprised he was found fit to stand trial. |
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| pdog |
Phil is going to be found guilty.... His only hope is to convince the jury he is black... His hair is already working hard on that! |
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| fireontheplatter |
it is good to see pdog back in full swing. |
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| sammy davis jr. |
The poor girl was killed by "a wall of sound". Johnny Cochran could prove this. But he's dead. If the mix don't fit....you must acquit. |
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| VoodooChileInWOnderl |
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