Friday, June 29, 2007

Phil Spector Is Innocent

You can argue that Phil Spector has not led a perfect life, made mistakes and has personality issues. Yes Spector is somewhat eccentric as we expect of most artists his age. I’d argue that we are all richer because of Spector’s work product. I’ve been stuck in a musical time warp since the day Spector did his greatest work.

How did Lana Clarkson die? I think we’ve seen some guesses and tried to figure probabilities. We can only follow the real evidence and our system of convicting the accused only after guilt is proven, beyond a reasonable doubt.

To guess what happened does a huge disservice to the memory of Lana Clarkson, her family and friends. We don’t know what happened and I’d argue that Spector may well be somewhat responsible for Clarkson’s death even if he did not pull the trigger. Just letting a drunken Clarkson handle a loaded firearm may have been negligent. Again we’d have to guess if that was the case.

The filing of charges against Phil Spector did not bring Clarkson back to life or somehow make her death less painful to her loved ones. What the prosecution did bring was a salacious and tabloid driven expose’ of Lana Clarkson tragic personal problems. Clarkson should be remembered for her glamour and talent not for addictions, and financial problems. That changed as prosecutors brought charges not supported by evidence against Phil Spector.

This may have been a crime of some kind and Spector may have been involved but we can’t convict anyone on a guess.

In our world killers do get away with murder all the time. It’s an ugly part of our free society that we can’t determine a solution to every crime and have perfect justice.

I hope we’d all rather see a man who’s probably guilty go free than hang an innocent. Person. Our system of justice and fairness is much bigger than even Phil Spector.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Former Deputy Sheriff Ivory Webb Acquitted Today.

















This case was the result of a regrettable event of January 29, 2006 in Chino California. After a high speed chase by Webb of a Chevrolet Corvette and subsequent crash the excited officer shot the car’s passenger, Elio Carrion three times wounding him.

Webb was charged with Attempted Voluntary Manslaughter and Assault With A Firearm. That inquiry is now over after a San Bernardino jury cleared him of both charges.
Webb’s shooting was caught on tape by someone that just happened to have a video camera. The tape was of poor quality and left unanswered questions. Speaking of questions Webb was interrogated far too soon after the event while the adrenalin was still pumping through his body. No criminal defense lawyer in the land would have let Webb talk about this event so soon afterwards.

Fear and survival are the rule for cops placed in these life and death events where decisions are made in split-seconds. No second chances are offered officers that don’t act to protect themselves quickly enough. We hope that training kicks in and the correct action is taken. There can be no doubt that Webb has attended the funerals of good cops murdered in the line of duty during his career. Webb was acutely aware of just what could happen to him while performing his duties.

Under the stress of the moment did Ivory Webb even say what he meant to Carrion when on the tape it appears he said, “Get up! Get Up!”? It’s no secret that our own minds can play tricks on us while we are under life threatening stress. What was absent here for Webb’s prosecutors was a motive by the officer to do harm to what we’ve since learned was an unarmed man.

Under the stress of the moment instincts and perceptions take over. It may well have been impossible for Webb to remember just what it was that caused him to fire on Carrion in the darkness. Prosecutors said Webb’s story changed. Perhaps it was because Webb remembered after he had sufficient time to calm down.

Is the punishment over for Ivory Webb you ask? Not by a long shot. In most cases like these the cleared officers are broke, unemployed, depressed and their marriages fail. The civil cases go forward against them and they must relive the event for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps Ivory Webb will somehow beat the odds and have a decent future. We will just have to see what’s in the cards.

Illegal Alien Amnesty Is Dead

I guess our politicians are so far removed from the American people and their problems they continued efforts to push an economic disaster down our throats.

We’ve been invaded for decades by economic refugees, drugs and criminals from Mexico and poverty stricken countries beyond. These desperate people know full well that there are boundless entitlements and benefits in the USA. Bonuses await law-breaking aliens such as free medical care, education and millions of businesses willing to pay tax free cash for workers.

Mexico and the other Latin nations have been shamelessly exporting their crime, poverty and least desirable members of their population here for too many decades.

A cabal developed between Liberal politicians looking to expand their political base and some Conservatives who want to totally destroy organized labor. The Liberals seek the importation of impoverished and dependant people guaranteed to vote the liberal ticket.

The people damaged the most by this invasion are our own poor and minorities who have been forced to compete for the services that have become their birthright. There is no way that allowing millions of poor people to squat on our soil will somehow improve or economy. Our schools, hospitals and penal system are all in critical condition by the failure of our government to enforce our immigration laws.

Our deceitful politicians supporting the open border policy played with words suggesting that a “path to citizenship” for those who break our laws is somehow not amnesty. The supporters of the amnesty legislation refused to call it what it was, amnesty.

Hopefully the American voters can remember to oust those six-year term Senators for their betrayal of the very people that elected them.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Spector Prosecutor Is No Match For Veteran Medical Examiner

Former San Antonio Medical examiner, and book author, Dr. Vincent DiMaio, is an accomplished and incredibly bright man. He is also a defense witness hired by Phil Spector's defense team to examine, evaluate and deliver his findings to the empanelled jury. That’s been exactly what he’s been doing for the past two days.

Dr. DiMaio agrees with the L.A. Medical Examiner’s findings on Lana Clarkson’s cause of death. However the manner of death is where this renowned expert parts company with the L.A. pathologist. Dr. DiMaio produced some really top notch medical exhibits and demonstrated to the jury how Clarkson’s death was a simple, self-inflicted suicide.

The young and brash prosecutor, Alan Jackson was just not equipped or bright enough to match wits with the venerable Dr. DiMaio. Jackson could not contain his seething anger as he watched his prosecution theory fall apart so early in the trial. The obvious baiting of Dr. DiMaio by Jackson scored no points with the jury.

Mr. Jackson’s prosecution is all smoke and mirrors as his case is built on the really stale ramblings of disloyal and disgruntled former sexual conquests of the famed record producer. The fact is Phil Spector never injured or killed anyone in his 67 years on this earth.

When the physical evidence is added up along with a missing murder motive, suicide is the only reasonable answer to this mystery. The only thing that makes sense is Lana Clarkson who was both drunk (.12 blood alcohol content) and under the influence of narcotic pain killers, killed herself.

Lana Clarkson was 40, overweight at 160 pounds, in failing physical and mental health, addicted to both alcohol and drugs, flat broke when she was at the end of a unremarkable and uncertain acting career. Clarkson’s story is a heartbreaking tale of another life chewed up and spit out in Hollywood. In Hollywood dreams only come true sometimes.

Blaming Phil Spector and punishing him for Clarkson’s death is unreasonable and un-American.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Prosecution To Rest Its Case In Spector Trial

Prosecutors have put on their case of gossip, hatred and screwy theories against Phil Spector. This as in a final act of desperation, they beg the trial judge to allow just one more so-called witness that claims to have heard a drunken Phil Spector make hostile and disparaging statements directed at “women”. Of course this too is many years prior to Clarkson’s troubling death.

Without real evidence a, trial by character assassination was the only way the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office could possibly proceed and that has been eagerly facilitated by Judge Larry Paul Fidler’s rulings.

Absent from the prosecution’s case is a single item of physical evidence or a motive suggesting Clarkson’s death did not result from her own horse-playing with the Colt Cobra .38 or a suicide. The physical and medical evidence presented does not implicate Phil Spector or anyone other than Lana Clarkson in this very sad event.

This has been a trial of salacious gossip, sensational tabloid style journalism and book authors making money by trashing a legendary music icon. Don’t forget to add in a cornucopia of internet blogger offerings on this mess.

Don’t be surprised to see former Spector lawyer Sara Caplan, invoking her right against self-incrimination under cross-examination by defense lawyers if she is actually forced by the prosecution to testify before the jury. I can promise that the cross-examination of Caplan by the defense won’t be pretty. Judge Fidler will pay dearly for vouching for Caplan’s earlier testimony by declaring her, “the most credible witness” a motion hearing.

Phil Spector was tried and convicted by the press long before any jury was impaneled. The jury has been and will continue to do what all juries do these days when they get in front of the personal computers, and that’s doing Google inquiries about the case and its players.

One simple fact remains and that is that the prosecution should have never should have brought this case to trial unless or until they had real evidence.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Paris Hilton Should Be Treated Just Like Anyone Else—Sure


Okay, we’ve heard from all of the angry folks that demanded Paris Hilton “pay” for her crimes related to DUI, driving while her license was suspended and a probation violation just like anyone else.

When will they learn that Hilton is not just anyone? Hilton is indeed very special. Hilton’s first post-jail exclusive Today Show interview will bring her a cool $1 million bucks. Hilton can count another million for hosting a few Las Vegas, getting out of jail celebrations. I don’t think the demand for whatever it is that Paris Hilton has to end anytime soon.

For the little folks caught drunk behind the wheel they too will get some perks like getting fired from their jobs, and being deemed uninsurable by the auto insurance industry. Did any of the ordinary jail birds get truckloads of fan mail like Paris Hilton while doing their time in the Heartbreak Hotel?

Crime is not supposed to pay like a giant, over-stuffed slot machine unless you’re of course, Paris Hilton!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

ACLU plans a CATCH-A-COP-ON-CAMERA, anti-brutality campaign.


This silly idea is on the move again in St. Louis, MA. Here is a re-post from Monday, January 02, 2006

The St. Louis MO. Branch of the ACLU announced they were planning to give away video cameras so that people prone to police brutality victimization could tape the cops beating them. Forgive me for being skeptical of this ACLU brainstorm but I think it’s both comical and a waste of their donor’s money.

There’s a nervous buzz about this among my Chicago cop friends who fear that video scenes taken out of context could land them on the other side of the prison bars. I guess this is some sort of retaliation for the installation of the Chicago Police Ghettocams in high crime neighborhoods. Wait a second! This is happening in St. Louis, not in Chicago.

Smile! You're on GHETTOCAM!

But what if they do this, catch-a-cop-on-camera crap here? Officer Wallupemgood put that question to me. I told him I thought that this was a tit for tat situation, just don’t get caught on camera dishing out too much tat!

Okay, being the wise man I am, I figured out the reality of this situation. If the ACLU hands out the cameras to responsible people in these neighborhoods where the brutality complaints are being made, that’s the end of the problem. Responsible people work at jobs and need to sleep at night when this stuff supposedly happens. The camera operators and the cameras will be, in bed, snug as a bug in the rug. There will be no incriminating video popping up on the Six O’clock News.

All right, the ACLU is smarter than that. The ACLU will give the cameras to the neighborhood lads in the thick of the action. This should not create a care in the world! Let’s see, the ACLU hands out 10 cameras to the boyz in the hood. Five will be traded for crack or that AK they’ve been looking at. The other five will be in the hands of those too enamored with their new toys to give them up. These cameras will be working all the time! Of course they’ll start with the homemade porn flicks. Then they will use the cameras to tape each other in their colors and whip out firepower so they can see themselves on TV like their heroes, Tupac and Tookie.

Finally, the good part! Our boyz use these cameras donated by the good folks at the ACLU to document their next crime spree. Guess who will catch these guys and confiscate the cameras as evidence? You’ve got it! Yep, Officer Wallupemgood!

This is what ABC news ia saying now.

Catch The Bulldog tonight On WTTW-TV Chicago, Channel 11

The Dean of Chicago’s Crime Reporters, John Drummond will be seen Wednesday, June 20 at 7 p.m.

Organized crime expert John Drummond will talk with Carol Marin on Chicago Tonight. They will discuss what to expect during the “Family Secrets”trial, and what may be learned about the Chicago Outfit.

Chicago Tonight airs weekdays at 7 p.m., with repeats at 1 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. The staff is dedicated to providing coverage of current events in Chicago and issues of importance to the city.

For more information, check out their website at: http://www.wttw.com/chicagotonight

What’s The Real Reason Behind Sara Caplan’s refusal To Testify?

Caplan freely testified against Phil Spector in earlier motion hearings. To call that irregular is an understatement since Caplan was in fact, a Spector defense team lawyer violating her attorney client relationship with Spector.

Now Caplan won’t testify before the jury about those very same facts and has now been found in contempt of court. What’s the big deal now you ask? The cat’s out of the bag as Caplan accused premier forensics expert Dr. Henry Lee of tampering with phantom evidence. That information and accusation was revealed during cross-examination by a Spector defense lawyer at the motion hearing.

The reason Caplan is a former lawyer is simple to explain since she was part of the Robert Shapiro team fired and sued by Phil Spector. Shapiro kept a million dollar retainer paid by Spector he did not earn.

The prosecutions's phantom evidence is the “Missing Link” that would connect Spector to the death of Lana Clarkson. If this item, suggested, to be a broken fingernail really existed and wishfully contained “bullet wipe” the prosecution contends that it would somehow show Clarkson’s death was no suicide. The key word here is, if. This is nothing more than a prosecutor’s red herring injected into a case where there is no physical evidence to support criminal charges against record producer, Phil Spector.

A serious fact not to be overlooked is that the cops and their CSI teams already examined, photographed, collected all their evidence and turned over the death scene to Mr. Spector and his lawyers. This alone should clear up the issue of whether or not the fingernail exists.

Dr. Lee has vehemently denied the existence of the supposed fingernail or collecting anything similar. Dr. Lee is expected to testify for the Spector defense and we’ve not heard the last of allegations of misconduct directed at both sides of this case.


Now comes yet another character to shed light on this inquiry, Zvonko “Bill” Pavelic. Bill Pavelic is a now retired, career LAPD cop who has a lot to say about prosecutorial misconduct in the Phil Spector case. Pavelic was retained to work with the Shapiro team who now calls Sara Caplan a liar, perjurer and someone who is trying to destroy Dr. Lee’s reputation.

Pavelic has in his possession photographs of retired Los Angeles Sheriff’s detective, Stanley White with Sara Caplan in the foyer area of Spector’s home (the death scene) taken on February 4, 2007. Sara Caplan testified that White was not present in the foyer area. These photos have been turned over to Spector’s current defense team, Cutler, Rosen, & et al.

Bill Pavelic has outlined his information on his website: http://www.billpavelic.com/current/sara-caplan/

Had Sara Caplan testified as ordered she knew full well that her lack of candor would be exposed perhaps ending her career as a lawyer. Perjury charges may yet surface against Caplan.

I’m still waiting for any evidence to show that Phil Spector killed anyone. The Spector trial is turning into a huge fiasco where I have predicted all along that Spector will be cleared. I can’t help but remind folks that just like Mark Furhman in the O.J. Simpson case the crimes of the accusers will be exposed.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Lawyer Sara Caplan Held In Contempt at Spector Trial

Former Spector criminal defense team member, Sara Caplan testified against Spector out of presence of the jury in earlier proceedings but now refused to answer similar questions in front of the jury. Judge Fidler has stayed execution of Caplan’s penalty pending full higher court appeals.

The impact against Spector is that Caplan will now be ruled as “unavailable” by Judge Fidler and prosecutors will be able to simply read Caplan’s earlier testimony to the jury.

This was just another bizarre twist in this spectacle happening in the courtroom of Larry Paul Fidler. The legal proceedings against Phil Spector have carried so much unnecessary baggage I can’t see how it will end in anything but a mistrial.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Disbar Mike Nifong

I called for strong action against this poor excuse for a lawyer who played a dangerous race card to win re-election as the top prosecutor in Durham, NC. Nifong is on trial for his law license before the NC State Bar.

Aside from any attorney rules he violated, Nifong took an oath to uphold the Constitutions of both the United States and North Carolina and violated them. Instead of prosecuting the guilty and seeking justice he set out on a path to bankrupt three families and destroy the lives of three innocent men.

Nifong knew what he was doing was wrong and did it anyway. Nifong deserves more than disbarment, a lot more.

Nifong reminds me of another rogue prosecutor who was deservedly disbarred by the name of Kenneth Jack Peasley.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Criminalist Testifies In Spector Case


Today Los Angeles County Sheriff’s criminalist, Steve Renteria who specializes in forensic DNA work testified. He suggested that something or someone blocked the blood spray from Ms. Clarkson. ( I guess that someone is Phil Spector who’s white dinner jacket has a very small amount of blood spray on it.) The problem here is a lack of blood spray on Stector’s jacket sleeves.

Renteria went on to say that Clarkson’s DNA was all over the gun from handling it and there was none of Phil Spector’s. The suggestion here was hat Spector somehow removed his own DNA and not Clarkson’s. Spector must have one incredible DNA lab to manufacture selective DNA samples like that!

It does look like Spector may well have cleaned some blood up but this suggested clean up job was well beyond the ability of any mortal man. When criminals tamper with crime scene evidence they for the most part dig themselves in a vast forensic hole.

If you get blood on your hands from trying to help an injured person it is considered a serious biohazard that needs to be cleaned from your hands and other skin. That’s not evidence tampering but simple self-preservation.

I’m still waiting for real evidence that Spector killed anyone at all. Please, wake me up if you hear any in Judge Fidler’s Courtroom.