Phil Spector murder conviction upheld; appeals court says he got fair trial [Updated]

A state appellate court rejected Phil Spector’s appeal of his 2009 murder conviction Monday in a unanimous ruling that the music producer received a fair trial in the fatal shooting of an actress.

A three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal brushed aside a smorgasbord of arguments put forth by lawyers for Spector, including a claim that photos of the trial judge used in the prosecution’s closing argument had turned the court into a government witness.

In the decision, Presiding Judge Joan Klein wrote that the photos only demonstrated Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler clarifying the testimony of a forensic witness.

“The trial court never became a witness against Spector,” Klein wrote.

Spector, 71, is serving a sentence of 19 years to life for the murder of Lana Clarkson. His lawyers did not immediately return calls.

[Updated at 3:50 p.m.: In a statement, lawyers for Spector decried the decision and vowed to appeal.

"We believe that today's Court of Appeal opinion affirming Mr. Spector's conviction does not begin to adequately address the prosecution's remarkable assault on constitutional rights to a neutral judge and to cross-examine all adverse witnesses," wrote lawyers Dennis Riordan, Donald Horgan and Charles Sevilla.]

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-- Harriet Ryan

Photo: Phil Spector in court before his conviction. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[az66]

Sorry Phil, but talent doesn't give you the right to kill people and say "woops" then not have to pay the consequences. Love the Ronettes and the Crystals and loved the stuff with John Lennon and the Ramones, but was not a fan of the whole face shooting. Not a way to make a comeback. If only Michael Jackson's fans could be as objective.

[az66]

Also, you might have a snowball's chance in hell of someone believing your insane story if you just walked into court with a freakin' comb-over or just plain chrome-domed. That creepy Count Kookula do looks like Mars Attacks meets a nest of Daddy Long-Legs. Literally the creepiest, nastiest, ugliest hairdo ever in the history of American culture. If he hires his lawyers like he does his hairdresser, he never stood a chance.

[Captain Ugatz]

What a relief. Now those horrendous wigs will not be able to offend anyone's sensibilities ever again.

[Banksie]

"In a statement, lawyers for Spector decried the decision and vowed to appeal."

I should hope so. What else would one expect? He has nothing to lose but more of his money and they have nothing to lose while adding that money to their own coffers.

That's the name of the game for the wealthy.....

[frankie4]

this LA county no one gets a fair trial,you a court system that is so broken it is beyond repair.

[newshawk]

Great, objective statement frankie. I doubt most of us have seen the inside of the courtroom to find out lol.

[Peacemaker Pete]

Bollocks. Just b/c someone likes guns doesn't make them a murderer. FREE PHIL

[frankie4]

newshawk may be I did see inside a court room,LA county you have police that arrest people for nothing you have a DA and judge that will go along with and you public pretenders that tell you to plea guilty. you have more people in jail or prison that diddnt commit a crime.phil won the first trial lost the 2nd. LA will bring to court until they win they will lie,cheat,with hold evidence,tamper with juries,the police will lie,the DAs and judges will totally disregard civil rights or laws. like I said the system is beyond repair.