Phil Spector Trial Ending

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:49 am

Since they did not televise Phil Spector's second trial (

), I happened to catch the latest on it.

The prosecution gave its closing argument. Today the defense is expected to. They expect it to go to the jury tomorrow.

They are pushing for murder in the 2nd degree. That carries a term of 15 years - life. He could get something like "involuntary manslaughter", which would be 2-4 years.

It will be interesting to see if someone with so much money will get that 15 years- life.

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:06 pm

I've seen police photos of her body and the gun barrel was placed near her mouth. Specter admitted to "accidently" killing her and said she had "kissed the gun barrel." It's said that she had experience with guns herself but if that is true I find it hard to believe that she would do something so stupid as to kiss a gun barrel. I think he was fooling around with that gun and pulled the trigger either on purpose or didn't realize he was squeezing the trigger. He was on seven different drugs at the time.

Either way, he was responsible. It was his gun. Since he won't recieve death, I hope he rots in prison until the day he dies.

-1bigsteve (o:

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:35 pm

I think the whole incident was/is just repugnant.

How anyone can get away with that behavior is beyond me.

SarahJay · Post by **SarahJay** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:53 am

There is a really great doco that i highly recommend - i cant remember the exact title but its either 'Dominick Dunne - Celebrity' or 'Celebrity'. Primarily its about the cases Dominick has covered, but quite a bit of time is spent on the phil spector case. How Phil could claim his innocence is beyond me. Regardless, it's such a fascinating case!

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:38 am

SarahJay @ Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:53 pm wrote:There is a really great doco that i highly recommend - i cant remember the exact title but its either 'Dominick Dunne - Celebrity' or 'Celebrity'. Primarily its about the cases Dominick has covered, but quite a bit of time is spent on the phil spector case. How Phil could claim his innocence is beyond me. Regardless, it's such a fascinating case!

Dominick's own daughter was strangled by her "boyfriend." It's a very sad story. He was obsessive with her. He is another murderer I would like to see hang ASAP!

Phil Spector is a dirt bag. I don't care if he pulled the trigger on purpose or accidently. You never point a gun, loaded or unloaded, at a person for any reason, unless they are trying to kill you or someone else. They had both been drinking and no doubt Spector was fooling around. His willful carelessness got that woman killed and for that I think he should get the death penalty. They ought to put his hair out of it's misery too.

-1bigsteve (o:

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 9:44 am

Did you see the picture of him when they arrested him? His face shows so much signs of drug use that he makes Ozzie Ozbourne look good.

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:06 am

Partial quote:

1bigsteve @ Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:38 am wrote: They ought to put his hair out of it's misery too.

-1bigsteve (o:

Good one Steve!

I loved the defense argument at the first trial - She came to my house to commit suicide. That's not even as good as going to the barn to look for sinkers.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:37 pm

Has there been a verdict yet?
I've not been watching the news.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:51 pm

Nothing yet... the jury started deliberating Thursday.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:38 am

Yes thanks. I got that impression from the prior posts.
But how long do these high profile case jurys usually take? It doesn't seem like their minds were made up already if they are to deliberate over the weekend- but I don't know.

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:39 am

Well, if nothing else, I expect Phil Spector will be very popular in prison.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:40 am

WoW Yooper we crossed in the mail!

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 1:05 am

Well, it's hard to say really. Like facts, juries too can be stubborn things. If I had to guess I'd say they likely have quite a bit to sift through though, honestly. Plus, depending what time they got the case on Thursday, they've really only had one full day to deliberate thus far. My best guess would be Monday or Tuesday. (It's hard to even do that though because none of the trial was televised that I know of.)

As for Phil I'll express a fondest hope:
That he's well-supplied with soap on a rope!

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 12:16 pm

You guys are so funny!

Yes, that hair! No, Fargo, I didn't see a picture of him when he was arrested. I wish this case were a death penalty case.

BigSteve, what did Dominick Dunne's daughter's killer receive??

Kat, it seems to me that the high profile cases don't take as long for the jury to be out. There are so many advantages a person with a lot of money has, and they are usually not on death row. Even if they're put in prison, they put them in a special cell, away from 'general population'.

The Menendez Brothers had a lot of money during their first trial. It ended up in a hung jury. They ran out of money and had none for their second trial and were convicted. Those two are sickening. They should have made Lyle Menendez go thru that first trial, which was televised, without his hair piece.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 12:08 am

Augusta, partial:

Kat, it seems to me that the high profile cases don't take as long for the jury to be out. There are so many advantages a person with a lot of money has, and they are usually not on death row.

That's what I was thinking, but I wasn't sure. I also didn't know if this trial was all or in part televised, or not.
Did the jury deliberate over the weekend, or did they break? I might have been supposing they were going to keep at it so as to not make this defendant wait.
Has there yet been a verdict?

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 1:29 am

This comes from http://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/1 ... etail.html dateline March 30, 2009

LOS ANGELES -- It will be at least two more days before the Phil Spector jury will come up with a verdict.

That isn't based on inside information, but on the court calendar in Los Angeles. The current panel will be off the job until Wednesday, so there will be no action before then.
-
Sounds like a scheduling issue somewhere, doesn't it?

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Wed Apr 01, 2009 11:22 am

augusta @ Sun Mar 29, 2009 9:16 am wrote: You guys are so funny!

Yes, that hair! No, Fargo, I didn't see a picture of him when he was arrested. I wish this case were a death penalty case.

BigSteve, what did Dominick Dunne's daughter's killer receive??

Kat, it seems to me that the high profile cases don't take as long for the jury to be out. There are so many advantages a person with a lot of money has, and they are usually not on death row. Even if they're put in prison, they put them in a special cell, away from 'general population'.

The Menendez Brothers had a lot of money during their first trial. It ended up in a hung jury. They ran out of money and had none for their second trial and were convicted. Those two are sickening. They should have made Lyle Menendez go thru that first trial, which was televised, without his hair piece.

Augusta, sadly Dominique Dunne's killer got a six year prison sentence but was released after serving 2 1/2 years. So much for justice. No wonder people take the law into their own hands.

She was only 22 years old. Just a kid. Here is a picture of her. You can read about her death at findadeath.com

-1bigsteve (o:

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:49 am

Thank you for the update link, Doug-Oh!

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:40 pm

Looks like the jury is out until Monday due to a juror falling ill:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpres ... fQtWz5Nucg

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:45 pm

So his hair gets another brief reprieve...

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 8:53 am

doug65oh @ Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:45 pm wrote:So his hair gets another brief reprieve...

I don't know if his hair hurts him but it's killing me! What did he do wake up one morning and say to himself, "I think I'll start looking like the biggest dork in the world?" Someone ought to start a "finishing school" for these "celebrities" to teach them a few pointers. "Get a haircut Phil! Wear some underwear Britney! Don't throw phones Russell! I've heard of "HOLLYWEIRD." How about "DORKYWOOD?"

I hope Spector gets the ax. He admitted to killing Clarkson when the police arrived. That may be the only piece of truth that has come out in this trial. Hopefully it won't become another OJ situation.

-1bigsteve (o:

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:36 pm

The Spector verdict was announced a bit ago: GUILTY, they said, of Second degree Murder.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:44 am

Thanks!
Do you know what is the sentence and was he committed to jail right away or bail until sentencing (if that is postponed)?

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:14 pm

Well, he was immediately remanded to custody and his bail revoked. The sentencing guidelines give the judge limited discretion I believe they said - meaning that even if he went low, with the minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years to life, that still becomes 20 because of the "use of a gun" enhancement. Spector wont get anywhere near the Board of Pardons & Paroles until about 2026 at the earliest, according to one estimate I heard. (That'd make him 87-88 years old.)

Not a perfect sentence considering a 40 year old woman is dead, but it'll surely do the trick...

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:22 pm

Yes, that may well prove to be a life sentence, especially if the judge goes for something other than the minimum.

Tina-Kate · Post by **Tina-Kate** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:53 am

Sometimes justice is served.

This case really bothered me that a woman could lose her life & it seemed the perp was likely to get off because of his status.

All right, so the man was a music industry genius...does that mean he should be able to behave any way he likes?

The whole story just seemed so sad. A fading hopeful actress meets a music legend & they hook up. She probably had a lot of respect for him. As the evening wears on, she discovers he's become this eccentric old burned out coot, probably senses there's weirdness & possible danger there & she wants to get out & go home. He doesn't like this, starts fooling around with his gun & suddenly she's dead.

Having to pay the price for his behaviour is the right thing. So many of these celebrities get away with irresponsible, inconsiderate actions.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:48 am

A fading hopeful actress meets a music legend & they hook up. She probably had a lot of respect for him.

If I remember correctly TK, there was testimony during the first trial indicating that Lana Clarkson had no idea who Phil Spector even was when he walked into the House of Blues. The owner or the manager clued her in minimally, said something along the lines of, See that feller there? That’s Phil Spector. You give him anything he wants, understand?

So very sad indeed...

Fargo · Post by **Fargo** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:02 pm

If I remember right, in the first trial at least, the defense tried saying that Clarkson went over to Spector's house to commit suicide. Clarkson was depressed and decided to go with Spector ( who she had never met before ) so she could commit suicide in his house ( that she had never been in before ) with his gun ( that she didn't know he had ) Yup, makes sense to me

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:39 pm

Aye, that was the story - or one of 'em, anyway!

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 12:34 am

I was hoping for first degree murder but at least they will put him away. If I had my way he would be sniffing some cyanide.

-1bigsteve (o:

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:40 am

You mean a jury decided this case? I thought it was Nancy Grace's job to decide guilt or innocence.

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:45 pm

I thought it was Nancy Grace's job to decide guilt or innocence.

Ayup, so does she! But no matter what she may think, it just ain't so!

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:55 am

I was surprised that Spector is facing 15 years to life. I am so used to celebrities getting a tap on the wrist. I'm happy that he got what he deserved.

Well, I think second degree murder was appropriate. I think it was either that or a lesser charge the jury had to pick from.

Cyanide? Yes, part of me feels like that, too, Big Steve. He did take a life in a really stupid drama he was playing out. But I don't think he meant to do it. So stupid having the gun loaded messing around like that. I hope he gets extra years for that.

Nancy Grace! That's funny. Did you know she's only something like 4'11"? I used to like her a lot, until after OJ's trial she did a regular show on court tv at night with her and Johnny Cochran debating a legal issue per show. For such a fiesty defense attorney, I was sickened to see her pal around with Cochran. I felt she sold herself out.

Every night, every night she was hammering away at the 'Tot Mom'. There's this woman (sorry, I don't know her name) who sometimes fills in for Nancy when she is probably at home reading an Ann Rule book to her twins at bedtime. The substitute was fine as a host, but I happened across her recently and she was turning into a Nancy clone. The producers must have told her to spice it up a bit, they didn't want to lose viewers.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Fri May 29, 2009 2:36 pm

Today Phil Spector was sentenced 19 years - life in prison. He has to serve 19 years before he is eligible for parole. That means he'll be about 88 years old.

The family of the victim is suing him in a civil suit.

I wonder how much money he has left after two trials? It is a relief that finally someone rich and famous gets what seems fair and just and didn't walk.

Kat · Post by **Kat** » Fri May 29, 2009 9:46 pm

do you know if he is in prison now, or out on appeal? I'm not sure what the protocol is- who gets out and why and for how long while they throw red tape at the verdict and sentence...

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Fri May 29, 2009 11:11 pm

The L.A. Times report on the sentencing had this to say:

"Spector's lawyer said his client was focused on his appeal and eager to get through the sentencing so he could move to a prison facility nicer than the jail where he has been held since the conviction."

It would appear then that no appeal bond applies.

augusta · Post by **augusta** » Sat May 30, 2009 10:31 am

He had been out on bail since the murder, but was actually put in jail/prison around April 23, if I remember the date correctly. I'll bet that's the day the jury found him 'guilty' in this second trial.

I was surprised they didn't let him go free until his sentencing. But apparently not.

But he was out free since the murder - and that was in like 2003? Well, he could probably afford the bail, and a lot of people probably would not be able to afford it.

You know, I really thought Robert Blake was going to prison for the murder of his wife. They didn't televise the trial, darn it, but from what I'd heard up to it, it looked like there was no real defense for him. I was pretty surprised when I learned he was acquitted. I must have missed something. What was his acquittal based on?

doug65oh · Post by **doug65oh** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:57 am

Ya gotta LOVE this: Phil Spector will spend at least the next 19 or so years in prison, but apparently his hair was paroled under Title 15, Article 5, Section 3062 of the state's prison regulations. http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/10/cal ... index.html

The Short, The Bald, & The Ugly - who'da thunk it??!!

Yooper · Post by **Yooper** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 6:11 am

Well, so much for show biz... That photograph really puts things in their proper perspective, doesn't it?

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:56 pm

I'm not sure if he look's worse with the rug or without it. Either way the look in his eyes tells me he is one sick fellow!

-1bigsteve (o:

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 8:34 pm

I heard on CBS News this morning that Phil Spector is whinning about prison life. He doesn't like being in jail with "low life scumbags" and "Manson types" as he puts it. He is afraid for his life.

He should have thought of that before he put that gun barrel in that woman's mouth. I figure boo-hoo to him. What a sad case.

-1bigsteve (o:

stargazer · Post by **stargazer** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:36 pm

Phil Spectre. A scary spectacle. Now he can have a new "wall of sound."

1bigsteve · Post by **1bigsteve** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:44 pm

stargazer @ Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:36 pm wrote:Phil Spectre. A scary spectacle. Now he can have a new "wall of sound."

"A new wall of sound." Yhea, the sound of his own screaming!

-1bigsteve (o:

Bobbypoz · Post by **Bobbypoz** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 10:42 pm

His reaction doesn't surprise me- his dealings with his ex-wife Ronnie and her getting into the rock hall of fame are testimony to his...um....want of control...