Music Legend Phil Spector has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson.
The jury composed of six men and six women returned the verdict after 30 hours. Recently, the defense was hit with a series of negative rulings by the court. I discussed these rulings with Spector, 69, only a couple days ago.
Clarkson, 40, was found dead, slumped in a chair in the foyer of Spector’s home with a gunshot through her mouth. The defense argued suicide. The first trial resulted in a mistrial in September 2007.
Clarkson starred in 1985’s “Barbarian Queen” and the 1987 spoof “Amazon Women on the Moon.” She was working at the House of Blues as a hostess when she died.
Spector’s bio contains the following information:
Phillip Spector (born December 25, 1940) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.
Coming to prominence in the early 1960s, Spector became one of the most distinctive producers in the history of popular music. He was hailed in his heyday by Tom Wolfe as the “First Tycoon of Teen.” The originator of the famous “Wall of Sound” production technique, Spector was a pioneer of the 1960s’ girl group sound and clocked in over twenty-five Top 40 hits between 1960 and 1965. In later years he worked with various artists, including Ike and Tina Turner, The Beatles, and Ramones with similar success. In 1989, Spector was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer.
I previously wrote a column on the case, here.
For the full story, click here.
I’ll bet Fidler’s not laughing.
Kelley Lynch
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Phil Spector’s Murder Trial Was An Absolute Sham
Los Angeles, CA—I wrote extensively about legendary record producer, Phil Spector’s first murder trial that ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. . I was not able to do much with the retrial because of other commitments, but it was even worse that the first trial.
Both trials were as unfair, and as outrageous as I’ve ever seen in my 40 years of experience inside the criminal justice system. During the trials I compared L.A. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler to Roland Freisler, the President of The People’s Court of Germany’s Third Reich. I don’t think that was an exaggeration because of nearly every ruling made by Fidler.
It was obvious to me that Judge Fidler had an agenda to convict Spector at any cost after numerous embarrassing high profile acquittals of other celebrity defendants. Fidler was drunk with power as he satisfied the harpy-pundits of that failed TV network, Court TV. It just so happened that I met Judge Fidler when he was invited to San Francisco to attend an Investigative Reporter’s and Editor’s conference in San Francisco with that very pretty, former Court TV correspondent, Beth Karas.
Spector’s trial was not about evidence but was an exercise of pure hatred. The trial manifested hatred for Spector’s wealth, flamboyant hair, manner of dress and lifestyle.
Spector had a lifetime’s worth of gold-digging women satisfying his libido and then angered when Spector did not give them the wealth and fame they sought. The very worst of this group were allowed to testify against Spector about decades old affairs.
Spector’s real crime was his sometimes horrible taste and judgment in the women he allowed in his bed. In that mix were thieves, extortionists and drug addicts. Some would return to haunt Spector for a slim chance at fame and of course the cash they could get from the tabloids for their tall tales.
The dead woman, Lana Clarkson fit Spector’s bedmates well. Clarkson was a failed and now too old actress with habit for ingesting Vicodin nearly a dozen times a day. The poor woman was an alcoholic suffering from depression and was nearly destitute. It was clear that Clarkson was under the influence of both drugs and alcohol when she died.
None the less Clarkson was a sympathetic figure that Hollywood used and spit out. Clarkson was beautiful and there was evidence she tried very hard to gain fame and fortune that sadly never materialized. Clarkson was really just another tragic story from The Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Clarkson did not go home with Phil Spector who she just met for anything more than an act of commerce. Spector had money and Clarkson needed some.
A violent death occurred but the evidence of murder just was not there. On the contrary there was a lot of evidence suggesting suicide or a self-inflicted accidental shooting by a drunken woman.
We don’t have a video, instant replay of this tragedy. We and the jury had to guess how Clarkson died. It’s a human trait to want to assign blame for a needless death. The blame went to Phil Spector.
In Judge Fidler’s court Clarkson’s problems were sanitized while any and everyone who wanted was encouraged by the jurist to throw mud on Spector.
Phil Spector was railroaded to a prison cell for more years than the 70 year-old has left on earth. Spector very well may never live long enough to win his appeal. This is wrong.
With The People’s Court of Germany, the public did not see much of anything wrong with Judge Freisler’s show trials either. “Justice” was always administered there, swift and sure. What happened in this Los Angeles courtroom can happen to you or someone you love.
Read now the appeal brief filed on behalf of Phil Spector:
http://www.crimefilenews.com/search?q=phil+spector
The Buddha Is Laughing must be referring to the utterly slanderous accusations raised against the 14th Sharmapa. The Buddha Is Laughing is clearly a distortion of the book “The Buddha’s Not Smiling.” This must be a reference to Mick Brown – who the Sharmapa and others have been addressing, letter by letter, for years now. He wrote a wholly one-sided and slanderous book on the Karmapa Controversy. See letters to Mick Brown by the Sharmapa, Jigme Rinpoche, Here is a link to some of the rebuttals to Mick Brown’s garbage and lies – by men who knew the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, understand the issues relating to the “Black Crown,” and have prevailed (time and time again) in the Indian courts.
http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=Mick+Brown&submit=Search………..&sp-a=sp070ec404&sp-p=any&sp-f=iso-8859-1
Clarification of the Karmapa Controversy:
http://www.karmapa.org/news/20080523-ikkbo.pdf
Since this issue was raised by someone who appears to be corrupt please refer to this clarification of the situation by Lama Karma Wangchuk. My teachers, including Sharmapa, have been praying for me since I was dragged into this absolutely shameful situation. Sharmapa understood that I was involved in a situation that related to corrupt government officials and corrupt cops. That is putting it mildly. Alan Jackson should understand this: the District Attorney of Los Angeles dragged me into this situation and people absolutely believe the District Attorney of Los Angeles had the power and motive to drag me to Killer King and question me about Phil Spector. I do not know who falsified the file. See Greenberg/Agile’s lawsuit against Leonard Cohen: the SWAT incident is raised. They raise allegations that Cohen, Kory (his lawyer), Lindsey (my young son’s father), and Superfon (a friend of Lindsey’s) conspired to have me falsely arrested. Greenberg’s lawyer confirmed, in writing on numerous occasions, that they have evidence supporting this. the IRS Commissioner’s Staff and others were copied in on that correspondence. Agent Kelly Sopko advised me the IRS Commissioner’s Staff is reading my emails. There are deadly serious issues at stake and it is obvious that this is not a “federal prank.”
I believe the posts by “Buddha Is Laughing” are transparent. The Buddha Is Laughing is discussing Alan Jackson. And then, miraculously, it appears on another part of this Blog on December 9th and 10th. It has returned to the scene … I see right through these thugs.
Kelley Lynch
Buddha Is Laughing
1, April 15, 2009 at 12:26 am
So what. They’re all murders. Some acts mean you lose the White Hat permanently no matter if you were saintly every other second of your life. Murder is one of them.
An Open Letter From Phil Spector To A Good Friend.
Sunday July 26th
Steven,
I had no voice the day I was sentenced in court on May 30th 2009 due to throat papalomas I had removed 3-days earlier on the 27th.of May. It left me with no voice. I was indeed very upset because when I was asked to address the court, I could not speak for I had no voice. What I wanted to say follows: Be it known that I, Phillip Spector had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the death of Lana Clarkson. And irrefutable science and five of the greatest, most famous forensic scientists all swore under oath that Ms. Clarkson died of a self inflicted gun shot wound, a suicide. They swore by irrefutable science. And while juries and judges lie and make mistakes, science and DNA do not. When their scientific findings and words were ignored is a mystery to me, and hopefully will not be ignored by the appellate court. And I shall return.
But let it also be known that there IS a murderer in the court room and it is NOT Phil Spector, it is Alan Jackson. During the trial he murdered the truth, ,he murdered the constitution, he murdered the law, and he murdered my reputation, and he should not go unpunished for his dastardly deeds. He used his five little “groupies” women, one of whom recently overdosed and died from drugs, and could not be here to testify to slander and lie about me, and victimize me so that he could get his conviction without any scientific proof whatsoever. That’s because he had none. He lied and cheated and double crossed that before along with his cohort Truc Doe whenever they got to it, yes my friends, HE is the real murderer. But, what goes around comes around. And the appellate court will see through his chicanery and smoke and mirrors, and false law and overturn my conviction, and then I will be back stronger than ever, a free man as I should be. Until then, POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Steven, I would like this published verbatim from the beginning of this letter to the end. And tell Chris Paven to also put it on my website.
Thanks,
Phillip
Buddha Is Laughing
1, April 15, 2009 at 12:26 am
See http://www.karmapa-issue.org
“The Buddha’s Not Smiling”
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2009
What Do The Buddha, Phil Spector, And Alan Jackson Have In Common?
http://karmapa-issue.org/news/buddhas_not_smiling.htm
cc: IRS, FBI, Doron Weinberg and Dennis Riordan
On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 10:17 AM, Kelley Lynch wrote:
Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, Karmapa, Sharmapa, and Bhakha Tulku Rinpoche,
This post uses a “sign in” that appears to relate to the book entitled “Buddha’s Not Smiling.” What’s being discussed? Phil Spector’s murder trial and Alan Jackson. The logic is inconceivably bizarre and rotten.
Please take a look. Sharmapa, you in particular, might find this of interest.
Thank you.
Love,
Kelley
Buddha Is Laughing1, April 15, 2009 at 12:26 am
cyberterroristwatch.blogspot.com
And if you think his looks were bad with the wig, check out Phil’s mug shot.
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/10/the-real-phil-spector-new-mug-shot/
One thing for sure – Spector never got by on his good looks
Karen:
“Thank you for your link and your validation, Dredd. I firmly believe what you and your girlfriend have to say. I hope that everyone has read the September 10th and 11th 2007 articles written by Jonathan Turley, regarding the Spector I Trial,…”
***************
I also consign you to Professor Turley’s analysis. While lamenting the tactics of the prosecutors, he also states, “The great irony is that Jackson [the prosecutor] and his colleagues had little need to engage in cheap tactics. The case against Spector is overwhelming, and even though he hasn’t testified, he has supplied the jury with one of the most creepy appearances and lifestyles in recent memory.”
Correct on all points as is the norm for JT.
Loyalty is a fine quality in short supply these days. I suggest you reserve it for someone more worthy and less homicidal.
As my friend Buddha succinctly put it, “And he did it to himself. No one is to blame for the fall of Phil Spector but Phil Spector.”
Courtroom and trial tactics aside, when you have a reputation – years in the making – of pulling guns on people with little or no provocation as Mr. Spector has garnered for himself of his own volition, should you be surprised when 12 peers don’t believe you didn’t kill someone who had no known propensity for gun violence and no indicators of suicidal behavior when she is found dead in your foyer from a gunshot wound?
Probably not.
Occam’s Razor strikes again.
And don’t whine about the good he’s done either. Yeah yeah, he’s your friend and all that, but bad men have been known to do good acts. Phil created the Wall of Sound and changed wht way music is produced in a profound way – a good thing. Hitler gave Germany the best highway system in the world and he was an unparalleled mass murderer. Mussolini loved his mom and he destroyed Italy by being a fascist power mad freak. I hear that Pol Pot liked kitties and wrote poetry despite killing thousands. O.J. loves his children but he still killed his ex-wife. Everyone is the hero of their own internal narrative.
So what. They’re all murders. Some acts mean you lose the White Hat permanently no matter if you were saintly every other second of your life. Murder is one of them.
If there wasn’t enough evidence to convict, the jury would have deadlocked again or acquitted. If the jury acted improperly, the judge could have vacated the ruling and sent it back for another round or dismissed with prejudice, but he didn’t. If there was reversible error, Spector can appeal and have his vindication. The simple fact is that if you don’t want people to think you’re capable of murder, you shouldn’t spend 40 years sticking guns in people’s faces like Phil did. One can play “Confuse the Court” by the tactics employed at the first trial, but you can only get away with that for so long. Even O.J. lost the civil suit. The only reason the Juice got off the criminal charges is that he had the good fortune to have that clown Ito as a judge who was too much a wimp to shut down the “Dream Team” when they started their circus side show and a rather half-assed prosecution by Clarke and Darden. That’s the only difference between O.J. and Phil – luck at getting a weak judge and pitiful prosecutors.
The sleaze brush on Jackson? Sure. That’s fair. I know a lot of lawyers who are scumbags. I know more that are than are not. It’s one of the reasons (actually the main reason) I left practice. But the axiom about bad acts from good men has the corollary of good acts coming from bad men. And Jackson wasn’t the one on trial for murder. Him being a POS the rest of the time is irrelevant if he’s done nothing to create reversible error at trial this time. His past questionable acts that didn’t rise to the level of misconduct or crime that merits censure or disbarment is irrelevant to the instant case at bar. One case at a time is how the system works. You want to run Jackson through the ringer? Get a little revenge? Get evidence that he’s committed a crime and see if you can get the D.A. or the City Attorney to file charges. Put him on trial. If he’s convicted on the merits, the judge will send him to prison too. Just like they are going to do to Phil.
Otherwise, it’s just sour grapes.
Sorry you lost your friend, I truly am, but he’s had two swings that resulted in strikes and gets a third. It’s unlikely he’ll hit the home run of acquittal. After that, he’s out for good.
And he did it to himself. No one is to blame for the fall of Phil Spector but Phil Spector.
Thank you for your link and your validation, Dredd. I firmly believe what you and your girlfriend have to say. I hope that everyone has read the September 10th and 11th 2007 articles written by Jonathan Turley, regarding the Spector I Trial, whereby he talks about the unprofessional arguments of the prosecutor, Alan Jackson,and how Jackson, himself, has done some of the same sleezy things he accused Spector of doing, and worse. In fact, Jackson never even disclosed how much money he spent on his expert witnesses in the second trial, while making such a big deal to the jury about how much money Spector had paid his witnesses. So much for “double standards!” “SLEAZE” is in the eye of the beholder!!!
I would not enter a debate with the already debated. But did anyone see where they hid the Glove? Did they, Huh, huh, Huh