Today in Pellicano: Here comes Chris Rock *updated
Another funny man is set to solemnly swear to tell the whole truth in the Anthony Pellicano trial today, but you better look fast. There's a plot afoot to keep him out of sight, Carla Hall reports:
Chris Rock is scheduled to testify today in the Anthony Pellicano trial and, arguably, will be the biggest and funniest (sorry, Garry Shandling) celeb so far to grace the sleek marble courtroom where the private detective and four codefendants face various federal counts related to wiretapping or racketeering.
Rock will be the first witness up, and U.S. attorneys plan to spirit him in and out of the courtroom quickly. Not even billionaire Alec Gores, who allegedly wiretapped his cheating wife, got that treatment. He was forced to cool his heels in the hallway outside the courtroom Thursday as he waited his turn to testify. But the government ran out of time, and Gores is expected back today.
The media have been eagerly awaiting Rock's appearance. And maybe the comedian will spice up -- and speed up -- proceedings that Judge Dale Fischer saucily declared had "bored" her. (She made her remarks after the jury had been dismissed for the day on Thursday.)
Fischer, who misses little in the back and forth of the questioning, presides over quite a crew -- two U.S. attorneys, four defense lawyers and Pellicano representing himself. She admonished all the attorneys to get to their points faster and not all ask the same questions.
Some of the trial drama trickled down to the press box yesterday as Allison Hope Weiner, who's been blogging the trial for the Huffington Post, got served with a temporary restraining order (over audio files she posted) as she left the courtroom, Daily Variety reports.
As for wiretapping, Will Vaus says his gangster dad, "Big Jim" Vaus, was the original wiretapper back in the 1940s.
* UPDATE:
Rock testified for about 15 minutes about hiring Pellicano when a woman claimed she was pregnant with his child, Carla Hall reports.
"In late 1998 did you meet a woman named Monika Zsibrita?"
"Yes," Rock answered.
"And she is a model?"
"Yes," Rock answered.
"In 1999, did she make a claim she was pregnant with your child?"
"Yes," said Rock.
See Carla Hall's full story here.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Illustration: Bill Robles / Associated Press
