Phil Spector, Jury Selection

Phil Spector's trial gets underway this week and HBBB will proudly be commenting on the whole thing.

Today was the first day of jury selection and Spector ditched his afro wig for a "blond, Beatles-style shag" according to the Wash Post. P.S. has some kickass lawyers including Robert Shapiro, from O.J.'s famous team, and I have to wonder why no one prevents him from wearing these insane wigs. After all if there is ever a day you want to appear normal when your on trial for murder, I think it would be the first time a jury of your peers lays eyes on you. Unless your going for an insanity defense, the goal is not to freak the jury out and encourage them to place you in jail.

The presentation of a case for Spector's guilt and defenses will not begin for another month or so, but we already know that the State of California will be arguing that the Tycoon of Teen shot and killed actress/waitress Lana Clarkson. Spector's side will be arguing that she killed herself ("kissed the gun" in P.S.'s words) or in the alternative that he is a raving fucking maniac. There is also a possiblity that Spector could argue the gun was faulty, hence the shooting was not meant to occur. Much of Spector's defenses and case will depend on the testimony of experts. Finding physicians and shrinks to testify he is clinically insane will be much easier than securing testimony that the gun should never have gone off, unless that is actually what happened.

Regarding jury selection, I wonder how many people in Spector's part of California have never heard about him or his antics. Obviously there are always people who live under a rock but Spector has been cultivating his image of the nutty producer for close to 50 years. It will be intresting to see how many jurors both sides get to before they settle on 12 and a few alternates.

Moving past jury selection, when the Prosecution makes its case that Spector has a penache for weapons, especially fire arms, and odd behavior, I'm sure all those stories of him pulling guns on The Ramones, Leonard Cohen, Ronnie Spector and others won't be too appreciated by the defense, though the trial transcripts will surely be fun to read. Maybe we will actually find out that End Of The Century is really a Joey Ramone solo album.

In closing, although we have a system where you are innocent until proven guilty, this writer believes that crazy Spector probably always wanted to shoot someone with a gun and one night he got drunk enough to do it. That is easier said then done especially when the Prosecution has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Spector is guilty.

If anyone wants to place some bets on how this will all unfold, lets do it.

More to come....