Friday, April 29, 2011

Phil Spector: Wrongful-Death Civil Suit Trial Date Set




Phil Spector, California Department of Corrections and Rehabililtaion booking photo



The Associated Press is reporting that a trial date of January 9th, 2012 has been set for the Clarkson family's wrongful-death suit against Phil Spector. The Clarkson family is represented by the highly respected team of John Taylor & David Ring of Taylor & Ring.

Last I read, Spector is now represented by Leslie Abramson. Leslie Abramson, who recently attended the oral arguments for Spector's appeal of his murder conviction, is best known for her role in the defense of Erik and Lyle Menendez for the August 20th, 1989 murders of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez in their Beverly Hills home.

The Washington Post wrote this about Abramson's representation:

The Washington Post, May 4th, 1996

The most dramatic part of the Menendez trial -- the retrial, that is -- was not watching two ghostly young men sit in silence as a prosecutor demanded their deaths for the crime of murdering their parents. It was watching their star attorney sit in silence as a colleague pleaded for their lives in her stead. Leslie Abramson, condemned to silence. Gagged, as it were, in that final, critical moment after five years of hellbent, heaven-rending fury in defense of her client, Erik Menendez, and his brother, Lyle. Worst of all, silenced by accusations that she ordered evidence altered, ...
Will Spector continue with Ms. Abramson as his attorney for the civil case? We'll have to wait and see.

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3 comments:

Sprocket said...

Betsy,

Thanks for the update concerning the Phil Spector wrongful death civil trial. As I recall, Leslie Abramson became Spector's defense attorney after he fired Robert Shapiro.

According to a Dominick Dunne article I read, Spector wouldn't keep his mouth shut per Ms. Abramson's instructions and insisted on talking to the media. When her client wouldn't follow her advice, Leslie Abramson left to be replaced by Bruce Cutler.

Last night, I happened to watch my recording of the 1996 A&E American Justice episode on the Menedez case. There are several clips of Leslie Abramson in action during the first trial, as well as being interviewed. Will we see her defending Phil Spector in the civil trial?

Best,
David


Will there even be a trial David? We'll just have to wait and see. Sprocket

Sprocket said...

Diane said:


I thought the article about Leslie Abramson was going to say how she seemed a bit TOO CLOSE to her client in that Menendez trail. YUKKY... that's all I remember.

That said, I watched every minute of Spector's first trial, and I was SO GLAD he finally was convicted.

Sprocket said...

Wes said:

Betsy I did not know a criminal-defense attorney would work a civil case, but as it will likely be "tried" as if a criminal case, why not. Personally I would never want L Abramson as my attorney for anything. Her antics make her a target for judges and by extension, for the jurors. So no, I would never want to take that chance on my case getting side-tracked by someone who cannot work the case based on facts and findings and discovery alone.

I am not even sure her track-record is all that.
Wes J.