Phil Spector's fate still in hands of jury

There won't be a verdict this week in the Phil Spector murder retrial, thanks to a nasty case of the flu.

A Superior Court judge canceled deliberations for the rest of the week after a male juror who became ill Wednesday was not well enough to proceed. In the week since lawyers wrapped up closing arguments, the panel of six men and six women have spent just one full day and two half-days discussing the case because of the illness and two court holidays.

Spector, 69, is accused of murder in the fatal shooting of actress Lana Clarkson, 40, in his Alhambra residence six years ago. A 2007 trial ended in a hung jury.

-- Harriet Ryan

Comments

[Pamela Wollenberg]

Does California have alternate jurors? The flu can take awhile to recover from and with court days off the wait for a verdict drags on. This is unfair for both sides.Get on with it already.

[MC]

SPECTOR GUILTY! LET'S GO JURORS GIVE A VERDICT OF GUILTY. SPECTOR IS OFF HIS ROCKER.

[JJ]

PHIL SPECTOR IS GUILTY OF MURDER, NOTHING LESS! ! !
HE EVEN ADMITTED IT TO THIS DRIVER MR. DESOUSA, I COULD UNDERSTAND HIS ENGISH PERFECTLY.

LANA CLARKSON WAS ALL DRESSED POCKET BOOK ON SHOULDER, LOOKED STUNNING, BUT NO SHE HAD TO WAIT FOR PHILLY BOY TO UNLOCK THE DOOR, TO LET HER OUT TO GET IN THE CAR, BUT OH NO......PHILLY HAD TO BE IN CONTROL AND GOT HIS GUN., POOR LANA CLARKSON DID NOT STAND A CHANCE. I HOPE THIS JURY IS ON THE BALL AND DOES WHAT THEY SHOULD MURDER ONE....! !

rESPECTFULLY
JJ

[Jon]

Despite the holiday/illness, it's obv the jury isn't 100% sold on his guilt. I predict another hung jury - the defense arguments about intraoral gunshots was pretty convincing, not to mention no signs of a struggle (prosecutions rebuttal of "but the dead woman in the room!" just tapdanced around the no struggle defense - it's a murder trial, a dead body is inevitable).

Anyone know California's rules about hung trials? Can they just keep prosecuting?

[Roxi Crawford]

THIS CRAZY MAN IS GUILTY FOR SURE!!!1
Come on... It is hands Down.
Let's finish this up and get him behind bars before he can have another cocktail while he shines up his gun and lures more women to his "crib".
He's been a free man all this time, just livin it up! It has to end!
LOCK HIM UP!
... and long live rock!

[Michele]

This guys has been free way too long!!!! 1st jury should have done there job and found him guily, now the tax payers are wasting there money with this retrial, put this little troll in jail where he belongs!!!!

[Serisously!]

This is absolutely ridiculous! Gulty already! If for some unbelievable reason the jury can't seem to see the facts the evidence the truth in this particular case then I don't think there is hope if any of us if one of our children were killed by a man that has money in CA, we would never see justice.
I hope really this jury understands what "reasonable doubt" means!
REASONABLE DOUBT:The level of certainty a juror must have to find a defendant guilty of a crime. A real doubt, based upon reason and common sense after careful and impartial consideration of all the evidence, or lack of evidence, in a case.Proof beyond a reasonable doubt, therefore, is proof of such a convincing character that you would be willing to rely and act upon it without hesitation in the most important of your own affairs. However, it does not mean an absolute certainty.
LET ME REPEAT THE LAST SENTENCE TO THE 2 JURORS WHO LET THE MANIAC GO IN THE FIRST TRIAL!
IT DOES NOT MEAN AN ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY! JUST OVERALL COMMON SENSE! Ask yourselves this: Would you feel comfortable having your beautiful daughter go home with him after hearing all the evidence in the case? Seriously!

[coutney taylor]

This guy is soooo obviously guilty, I can't believe he ever got off in the first trial. Poor Lana Clarkson and HER family. The damn Court System loves to put the VICTIM on trial. She is dead and gone and can't defend herself. We all get depressed from time to time, but to go to a strangers house and use his gun, o' please if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you too. Hang the creep!!!

[aurum winton]

there's a real good possibility that the science is correct and that phil didn't shoot anyone. lana may have been playing with the gun,not knowing that is was loaded and put it in her mouth and pulled the trigger accidentally killing herself. just like phil said. all those incidents from phil's past makes for great stories in the newspapers but they have no bearing on this case. some of the stories were 30 years old and should not have been allowed in the court room. the only thing that matters is who pulled the trigger. even if phil didn't do it,he had to know that because of his past people would find it hard to believe he was innocent. because of the bi-polar medication phil was taking plus the alcohol he consumed would make him pretty much drunk and confused. it's possible that lana accidentally shot herself and phil in is condition of confusion told the driver that he thought he killed somebody,not that i just shot and killed someone. phil was probably stoned and didn't know what happened. the blood spatter proves his innocence. there's no way that only a few specs of droplets were on phil's white jacket if he pulled the trigger at point blank range. the gun was in her mouth, his white jacket should have had blood all over it. the science is not bias,only factual. i implore everyone not to rush to judgement. there's a possibility that phil is telling the truth about what happened and i'd hate to have to say i told you so about rushing to judgement. phil is a good man with problems like everyone else. you would have problems too if your father committed suicide when you were nine years old like ben spector did when phil was still a little boy.

[Stephen Gianelli]

This lynch mob mentality is disturbing, to say the least.

Due to your pathological hatred of a man you have never met you are not only clamoring for blood, you are angry that it is taking the jury so long to hang him..

The trial was six months long. The jury has been instructed that each of them have a duty to deliberate--that is discuss the evidence among themselves.

And there is the potential for reasonable doubt here, you are just so blinded with hatred you cannot see it.

Calm down, stop hating, and let the jury do its job.

[N. Walker]

When an inebriated man with shaky hands repeatedly waves a loaded gun around, threatens to shoot people, touches the loaded gun to faces of his victims, sooner or later the gun is going to go off. It finally did and Lana Clarkson is dead. Phil Spector is guilty and belongs in jail.

[Johnny C.]

Yes, Phil Spector is innocent. Michael Jackson isn't a pedophile, Robert Blake didn't kill his wife, and OJ is looking for the real killer. You bet. Only in California.

[Phil W.]

It's sad Lana is dead. She was a depressed, alcoholic, wannabe actress and went with Phil voluntarily. There could only have been one motive for her going with him, considering they just met and the hour -- a hopeful improvement for her life.
She was rejected and killed herself.

[chris]

Hope the jury is able to come up with a verdict soon. I believe he is guilty and that the prosecution proved the case with a clear presentation. The defense just wavered and shot itself in the foot with perjury of an expert witness and other such antics.

[Linda]

Phil Spector was found not guilty last time due to one person who failed to find this man guilty, and even then he came up with some ridiculous excuse as to why. Sorry but why would a lovely girl like Lana who really didn't want to go back to Phils house in the first place purposly go there with suicide on her mind. It doesn't make sense. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this jury sees sense and comes back with a guilty verdict. Even if it was an accident, he is still guilty. It is time to put a stop to his madness!!

[BD]

Reading some of the comments that are posted here and knowing what California juries often do, is it any wonder why California is the laughing stock of the country?

I have absolutely no doubt that Spector is going to walk. Then you all will have yet another obviously guilty murderer walking the streets. When I read these posts about how people think he's innocent or that there is "reasonable" doubt, it makes me wonder exactly what would it take to convince these morons? Would a video of the act do it? I doubt it.

If that trial were ANYWHERE else in the country that MAGGOT Spector would be rotting away in prison right now, but not in Cali. The entire theory of the defense is so preposterous that it's laughable and yet there are people in this thread, and in that jury room, that are buying it hook, line and sinker.
Only in California can a rich, perverted nutbag, like Spector jam a pistol in a beautiful woman's mouth, pull the trigger and then walk outside and tell his limo driver "I think I killed someone," and walk free.

I actually feel really sorry for all the decent people that are forced to live in that state. I don't see how you do it. You sit back and watch murderers walk free and then have to put up with the OCTO-PIG scamming each and every one of you while earning a million bucks and having the state PAY for her medical bills and give her welfare and food stamps.

As I said before....ONLY IN CALIFORNIA!!!

Enjoy.

BD

[JJ]

To all readers, thank God there is sanity in this world...GUILTY, GUILTY. Spector is another OJ and thinks he will get away this murder. LADY JUSTICE TAKE OFF HER BLINDFOLD.....PRAY THAT THESE JURORS GET IT RIGHT.
HE NEVER WAS FOUND INNOCENT...JURY WAS TIED BECAUSE OF THE IDIOT ENGINEER/NEIGHBOR OF SPECTOR, WHO WAS ON THE JURY AND TRIED TO CONVINCE THE REST OF THE JURORS...SO THEY TIED. I HOPE THAT JUROR CAN LIVE WITH HIMSELF. GUILTY. All evidence points to it.
I feel sorry for the Prosecutors they are doing their best.
good luck all in LA. JJ

[roger]

Spector has to be found guilty behond reasnable dought orset free and let God get it right God don't make mistakes