Phil Spector Retrial: Closing Arguments Day 4

Hello everybody! I'm in the hallway outside 106. I don't type well with my computer on my lap, so I hope you will bear with me. I will be back to hand written notes from the second row for the last of Jackson's summation and jury instructions.

Once the jury goes inside the jury room to deliberate, I will move to the back row and get back on my laptop.

Our usual group is already here waiting to get in: Linda, Sherri, Katie, Lisa, and the young man studying for the bar. I just saw My2Cents is at the end of the hall. Four of Lana's girlfriends are sitting to my right on the benches. Pattie, Ann, Maryianne, and Nili. The ladies tell me that Annmerie is on her way.

Ann and Patti show me photos of Punkin before Lana was killed.

Harvey with the white hair is hear, a few other fans that have come the last couple of days and Teresa, the schoolteacher who has been here the most out of all of Spector's supporters.


8:58 am: Counsel was supposed to start right now, but we've not been let into court. Weinberg and his staff just passed a moment ago. The CNN reporter is here, along with the camera men and Aphrodite Jones.

Truc and Jackson just passed me in the hallway.

It's 10:28 am, and the rebuttal closings are finished. There is a short break because Weinberg is asking for his special instruction to be included. As it was written by him it's been rejected. Fidler told him, "It's argument, and it's out." Weinberg did not accept the rewritten instruction that the prosecution presented. Both parties are supposed to get together and rewrite that instruction. Weinberg is probably on the phone right now, talking with Riordan.

Jackson, Truc Do and Joshua are all at the podium. There are a few people in the gallery, mostly the press in the back row. I'm still in the second row, able to use my computer because court is not in session.

Jackson closed with the same scenario he did in the first trial, taking the jury back to the parking lot of the House of Blues, as if they were voyeur in those early morning hours, where Phil Spector is inviting Lana Clarkson back to his castle. And Jackson said those same words he said last time, "Don't go."

More to come...

10:47 am: Looks like we're ready to go! The defendant has filed back in and is at the defense table.

11:40 am: The jury entered the jury room. 11:43 am: Court is out of session and we are on verdict watch.

I will try to find out if the jurors will deliberate through lunch.

12:10 pm: I'm down in the cafeteria right now. I don't have a "precise" jury clock at this point. While Harriet Ryan, myself, and the CNN reporter were asking Pat Kelly from the PIO office about notifications, a single buzzer went off. That was about 11:50 am. We find out from the bailiff later that a single buzzer means they have started deliberations. Two buzzes means they have a question. Three buzzes means they've reached a verdict.

The bailiff did tell us that they would not be having a working lunch today. They were going to break, have a relaxing lunch and then get back to work. I hope to report when they've selected a foreperson.

I'm going to eat my lunch now, and then work on getting an entry up on the final part of Jackson's rebuttal closing.

1:30 pm: I'm back inside the courtroom in the back row. Weinberg and his paralegal are setting up on the defense table. Ah. I think they are going over their evidence book. Apparently, that's still not inthe jury room yet.

1:43 pm: All counsel are back in the courtroom. It looks like they are doing a last minute run through of exhibits and something with the jury instructions. When the instrucitons were read to the jury, there was one instruction that should have had a few sentences removed and it was not removed. So, before they were given to the jury in the jury room, both parties agreed to just have those sentences removed before the jury would be given their copies.

1:45: pm: Truc and Weinberg are going over it looks like copies of the instructions.

1:46: pm: My2Cents is here on their computer as well as the CNN reporter. Louis Spector and his companion, Frieda are here. A man I don't recognize is here in the back row in the plastic seats. In a jacket, shirt, no tie and black jeans.

1:48 pm: Wendy tells both parties, "I want each of you to go through each other's books and go through them because I'm not turning anything over until you've both approved each other's books."

1:51 pm: Truc and Weinberg are going through a book together and Susan and Jackson are going through something together. Ah. Jackson and Susan are done.

1:54 pm: Just a reminder, for those of you who may not remember, the jurors from now on will be escorted to their cars out of the courthouse by a different route. They will go through a hallway that's behind the clerk's desk. Linda from San Diego and Louis are discussing moies.

1:58 pm: The Daily Mail has photos of Spector. These are not from today (the tie and suit are different); I think they are from yesterday. You can see the heavy makeup on his face. Maybe that's what the big mirror was for that I saw him use several times at the defense table. Maybe he was checking his makeup.

2:03 pm: Katie enters 106 a few minutes ago and sits with Linda from San Diego. It looks like they are almost finished getting the exhibit books to the jury. Weinberg and Susan are packing up. Jackson and Truc Do are still leafing through books.

2:05 pm: Looks like the books are on Wendy's desk, and Truc and Jackson are going over a few last items being pulled out of the people's books.

2:07 pm: Weinberg, Susan, Truc Do and Jackson are still going over some last items. Louis just told me that he just got off the phone with Gary and to tell me Gary said "Hello." HI GARY!!!

2:09: Court is once again in session! Fidler is on the bench! Inner courtroom doors close. Back on record. Correcte version of instrucitons. Gone over all exibit books. Everyone satisfied? We are your honor, Jackson. No problem with the jury forms? No you honor. We have phone numbers to reach you all Fidler asks? Mr. Weinberg, you may get a call from Mr. Parachini, if there's a verdict reached, they will set aside a courtroom for them if he wants to talk to the media.

2:11 pm: And that's it. Jackson and Truc say goodbye to those of us in the gallery and they head out. It's just me, CNN, My2Cents, Louis, Frieda, Katie, Linda and Lisa in the courtroom.

2:25 pm: There is a single buzz from the jury room. The bailiff enters and then a moment later comes back out. He goes back out. We find out that the buzz was letting Wendy know that the jury will need to leave early next Wednesday, at 3:30 pm. So looks like they are planning ahead. Harriet Ryan, who stopped in for a moment, asked Wendy if we know yet who the jury foreperson is. Wendy called the Judge and then told us a few moments ago, that unless the jury communicates with the bailiff who it is, they won't know.

3:54 pm: Terri Keith from City News enters 106. Pat Kelly from the PIO department entered a few minutes before her. We are waiting to see if there's anything that can be observed from from the jurors body language

3:56 pm: Buzz! This means they are done for the day. I don't know how this tracks out on the jury clock.

Today, from Wendy, the jury deliberated from: 11:52 to 11:55 am. Then 1:15pm to 2:10 pm. Then from 2:22 pm to 3:55 pm.

4:00 pm: By my computer clock, the jurors still have not emerged from the jury room. The bailiff is back by his desk.

4:01 pm: Single buzz again. They're ready to exit. Bailiff says, "Let's go." From the jury room we hear, "There's one guy still in the bathroom." The bailiff enters the jury room.

4:03 pm: They exit the regular way they came in. They did not ext the way they did during the first trial.

And that's it. Court is over.