Phil Spector to be sentenced in murder case at 11 a.m.

Phil Spector’s six years in the L.A. justice system, an odyssey that began with his arrest for shooting an actress in 2003 and included a grand jury presentation and two trials, will conclude this morning at 11 when he is sentenced for murder.  

Judge Larry Paul Fidler, who presided over the music producer’s trials, has little discretion in punishing Spector, 69, for the fatal shooting of actress Lana Clarkson, 40, a death that jurors decided last month was second-degree murder. 

Because the conviction carries a mandatory 15 years to life in prison, the judge’s only choice will be whether to tack on three, four or 10 additional years to the minimum sentence for the use of a firearm. The prosecution has recommended four more years; the defense has asked for three. The judge’s ruling will determine whether Spector is first eligible for parole at age 77, 78 or 87.

Spector’s defense has vowed to appeal the conviction, but his lawyer did not file a motion asking the judge to set aside the verdict and grant a new trial. Although such requests are routine before sentencing, they generally ask judges to reassess rulings made during the trial. But in Spector’s case, the defense already had asked Fidler repeatedly and without success during the course of the two trials -- the first of which ended in a hung jury -- to reverse the decisions his lawyer considers the strongest grounds for appeal.

Those issues include the admissibility of testimony from five women who said Spector menaced them with guns in a manner prosecutors contended were similar to the circumstances of Clarkson’s 2003 death. The prosecution said they proved a pattern. The defense, which maintained the shooting was suicide, insisted they prejudiced jurors against Spector.

Clarkson’s mother, Donna, will make a short victim-impact statement before the sentencing. She has filed a civil wrongful death suit against Spector. The producer is not expected to speak on the advice of his legal team, said publicist Hal Lifson. Spector has been in jail since his April 13 conviction. A court spokesman said Fidler granted a request by the music producer, who dressed in custom-made suits and bright ties during his trial, to wear his own clothes instead of a jail uniform to court.

 “It is not at all uncommon for defendants at sentencing to be permitted to be able to wear their street clothes,” said spokesman Allan Parachini. 

On Wednesday, Spector underwent surgery to remove polyps from his vocal cords at UCLA Medical Center. His publicist said Spector was “very disappointed” with the verdict, but looking forward to having his case reviewed by higher courts. “Everything is now being focused on a successful appeal,” Lifson  said.

-- Harriet Ryan

Comments

[Nat McBride Lockwood]

FREE PHIL SPECTOR! She killed herself, let him go and create good music once more and stop this facade of the Clarkson family wanting him in jail for his money!

[Stephen Gianelli]

It will be interesting to see the length of the firearm enhancement that Judge Fidler imposes. My prediction is 10 years.

In any event, Phillip Spector's legal odyssey is just beginning, and may very well include a reversal on appeal and a second retrial before it is over.

[Big Sam]

Phil Spector is a bizarre person, who thought he was above any law, and finally went beyond his usual misogyny, and committed murder.

Grieve for the victim, not for him, until he has found Grace during his incarceration.

[Eric of Reseda]

Do NOT place Spectors musical accomplishments above his culpability in this case. I've seen with my own two eyes Spector running around with a gun in his hand in a crowded room in a way that had all who witnessed it genuinely concerned. The guy was thoroughly out of control. So when this case popped up, I wasn't surprised at all. Did he mean to kill her? I'm sure not. But I have no doubt that his carelessness, recklessness with firearms led to her death. Second-degree and 15 years sounds about right. And I hope Clarkson's family extracts a sizable sum from his estate. He deserves everything coming to him...

[Boils]

Phil Spector is a joke. He should have bee4n in prison years ago. That he is late explains the old saw...'Better late than never.'

[Tim]

I am just glad I do not have to see hisugly picture anymore

[Joe B]

I apologize but it just seems to scream out the need for the following post --

If you look up the word "sycophant" on Wikipedia, you'd find a JPEG of Nat McBride Lockwood

[the truthful one]

why is everyones surprised, because he is white.....

[Ronbo]

19 to life. This time, the system worked.

[spiffy]

A celebrity finally gets convicted and goes to prison in L.A.! Wow. Now that's NEW news!

[steve]

Never liked his music or his penchant for guns employed to bully his colleagues. Hope he dies in the joint.

[joe s.]

about time, how much money did that cost the tax payers!

[KK]

Harsh sentence if you are well known. Gangbanger, robber and drive by shooter gets less.

[Dan]

It didn't help that everything over the past 30 years usually included "shooting guns in the house" and "pointing guns at guests" in documentaries, plus Ronnie's bio.

Whatever happened - maybe it went off by accident, maybe he went over the line, maybe she was despondent, maybe there was a lot of drugs clouding judgment (i'm talking about the legal kind in this case)- the truth is likely in the middle on this one.

It didn't help that Spector treated the courthouse like a joke. A little respect could've cut 5 years off the sentence.

And just think about that guy who recently "gave the girl's body to the ocean" got 5 years.

[Tim W.]

Looks like Spector will never see the outside world again. Hope he doesn't commit suicide. One would have to think that he has been mentally ill for a long time. But his celebrity and wealth let it get out-of-hand for too long. An ordinary person would have been slapped down the first time they pulled that gun-threatening routine. But I'll bet victim Lana Clarkson's family isn't sad to see him put away for life. Compassion is in order first for Ms. Clarkson's family, Spector's family and even for that part of Phil that was able to make beautiful music. This is a tragedy all around.

[I Love LA]

Please just a question for those who followed the case, isn'it simple to know who held and shot the gun, isn't there marks on someone hands from the back fire ?
Thanks

[Lydia]

So 19 years is all Lana's life was worth.....that old bastard got off easy!.....

[hubert bruce]

As the saying goes "keep on fool. There is going to come a day you will have to look back at who's fault it was" and that day has arrived, Mr. Spector.

[KLB]

Finally,Mr. Spector's reckless drunken behavior plus his criminal handling of a firearm caught up with him. Unfortunately a innocent woman was murdered before he was brought to justice. His fame and wealth only delayed his eventual incarceration. Next is the civil trial which should be a slam dunk. He will be in jail for the rest of his life penniless. A fitting end for a man who is absolutely without remorse. However he could still manage to weasel his way out through appeal.

[Kelley Lynch]

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