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

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 real...

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.

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.

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...

Okay, I told you so! The accusers and their stories were bogus. Rod Bernsen was acquitted by a federal court jury today. I predicted this result since this story had the smell of prosecutors seeking fame by prosecuting the famous. Bernsen now has the toughest task of his life. He must try and regain his stellar reputation and hear from old friends that seem to have forgotten his telephone number since he was falsely branded as a child molester by the two Utah cousins. I don’t know if anyone can ever recover from what Bernsen was put through since this ordeal began. One thing everyone needs to remember the cost of bail bondsmen and lawyers bankrupts most people accused of these kinds of crimes. I hope to see Bernsen who now lives in Colorado back doing some of the things he loved such as TV reporting and law enforcement work. An update: This evening I got a call from Rod Bernsen who I’ve never met. He told me that when he was really at a low point facing these horrible lies he...

I have reflected for beyond 24 hours and am so offended by Judge Sauer's conduct I intend to make this complaint to the California Commission on judicial Performance Monday: RE: Complaint against Judge Michael T Sauer Dear Sirs: My complaint against Judge Michael T Sauer of the Los Angeles Superior court in the matter of The People of the State of California vs. Paris Hilton, Los Angeles Superior Court Case # 6MP09160RM is as follows: Judge Sauer knows Paris Hilton is a major celebrity who was and is represented by counsel. I can’t address all of what happened the morning of June 8, 2007, but its abundantly clear Ms. Hilton did not cause the incredible events of that day. Paris Hilton had been convicted for DUI, driving on a suspended license and has violated her probation. She may well have deserved punishment and the jail term that Judge Sauer gave her. Ms. Hilton surrendered and began her sentence and for whatever reason, Sheriff Lee Baca intervened three days into Ms. Hilton...

The political concept that all men are created equal is the big hope and outright lie in our world. That’s really never the case. Karl Marx tried to artificially force equal wealth but the loopholes exist for Communist leaders who are above all others without even the inconvenience of standing for elections. Teaching children that we are all equal sets them up for a lifetime of disappointment and anger as others are smarter, slimmer, better looking and of course richer. The fact is we all were not born beautiful with generous lifetime trust funds. Some of us have to work harder than others for what we get in life. Some of us are rich enough or smart enough to figure ways of avoiding the stress connected with simply getting food to eat and our rent paid. Paris Hilton seems to have gotten everything but except good judgment from her maker. The DUI arrest, driving while her license was suspended along with her violation of probation mess was certainly avoidable. She has the cash a...

"In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide." Those were the last words of TV anchor/reporter Christine Chubbuck before she raised a .38 snub-nosed revolver to her head and shot herself live on television. This happened one July morning at WXLT-TV in Sarasota, FL in 1974. Chubbic placed the gun behind her right ear in a very unusual position. Had there not been videotape my guess is cops may well have made someone a murder suspect. I love hearing so-called reporters saying women never take their own lives that way, while commenting about the Lana Clarkson death and the Phil Spector murder trial. I have seen many photos of women who killed themselves in this fashion. Women often leap to their deaths from tall buildings making a grand and unfashionable mess on public sidewalks. Where did this new bogus myth come from? Who made that garbage up?

When I was a young cop I was astounded to learn that homicides were cleared somewhere around 85%. Who would dare commit a murder with those lousy odds? Capitol punishment was still a reality before that Fuhrman vs. Georgia execution moratorium nearly ended the death penalty for good. Then came the mid 1980s and the clearance rate for murders began dropping. The murder clearance rate steadily decreased to around 36% where it stands today. I bet you’re thinking criminals are smarter today and better at avoiding discovery? Not a chance the killers were never very smart nor careful and actually taking steps to hide evidence. But now we have DNA, high resolution surveillance cameras everywhere, data tracking for every little purchase we make, cell phone cell site data and even GPS gizmos tracking us everywhere we go. We are unintentionally creating airtight alibis for our usual suspects we used to arrest and convict. The robbery or rape victim turned eyewitness pointed out the suspe...

I’ve always been fond of elephants and their coveted ivory. My friends at Eagle Grips have offered ivory over the years based on availability and price for top of the line gun grips. Ivory has a special warmth and incredible strength that makes it the very best gun grip material on our planet. Then came the embargos created in an alleged effort to protect the endangered elephant. The embargos were nothing more than a grand scheme for corrupt Third World, government officials to create a monopoly on clandestine trading and artificially high prices. The end result of the embargos was to make the slaughter of these fine animals even more profitable. Elephants die and their ivory is harvested without upsetting the balance of nature. Most of us want to protect these awesome and majestic creatures but ivory trade bans only make poaching more profitable and prevalent. Where does Eagle Grips get their ivory you ask? This is yet another sad story. The now grown children of America’s...

Out of presence of the jury during court arguments Spector defense lawyers revealed key issues about the dead woman. A detailed summary of Lana Clarkson's mental state issues at the time of her death was exposed. The shocking material came from Clarkson's medical records, diary, writings, e-mails and from various witness statements. There is now little doubt that all of this information will be presented to the jury during this trial. These issues came up during the L.A. County medical examiner, Dr. Louis Pena's cross-examination by Spector lawyer, Christopher Plourd. That information was kept away from the medical examiner by both cops and prosecutors until after Clarkson's death was ruled as a homicide. It's obvious that the coroner's office dropped the ball by their failure to do a psychological autopsy on Ms. Clarkson. The Cotoner's homicide ruling was clearly crafted and controlled by the cops and prosecutors who were hiding important evidence. 1. ...

Chicago cop, turned fixer lawyer, turned mob-wrecking government witness, Bob Cooley is about to make another big splash. Cooley’s book, WHEN CORRUPTION WAS KING got picked up on a feature film option deal last week in Hollywood. It was never a question of if, but rather than when the persona of many of Chicago’s incredibly sleazy public officials would grace your local cinema houses. The rich marriage of characters left over from Al Capone’s mob, Chicago’s politicians, bureaucrats and cops were laid out in this continuing Cooley soap opera that make television’s Sopranos seem lackluster and tame. As someone who knew the majority of the players in Cooley’s book it was always evident to me that these headliners played by a unique set of unwritten rules. Most honest Chicago cops, prosecutors and judges learned early on to put their blinders on or face getting framed, disgraced and fired if they interfered with any of the Windy City power. I’m not sure what the film producer’s plans ar...

ABC News got it right again for a change...

I find this story a sign of our times. We live in a land where we make laws to control illegal immigration and then don’t enforce them. There can be little respect for any of our laws under that pathetic example. You don’t get educated at Stanford University for free and very few poor kids will ever see the inside of a world class place to prepare for a life of wealth and privilege a Stanford education will bring. Then came the determined and clever 18 year-old lass by the name of Azia Kim who infiltrated the campus as a “student” for no less than eight months. She talked her way into the dorm and made herself at home. That is until her lack of a key required climbing through dorm windows understandably brought too many questions. Stanford’s administration is now in a security panic as they find themselves embarrassed over the ruse. I can’t help but find Azia Kim to be a child in need who perhaps deserves a chance for real student enrolment. I also see a career ahead for this gi...

Amazing words said on the record by Judge Larry Paul Fidler, during the Phil Spector murder trial. It was said out of the presence of the jury. Fidler further indicated that he will not instruct the jury about Dr. Lee’s credibility. Fidler must be gunning for a mistrial because there is no way that statement and it’s prejudicial taint will be kept from this un-sequestered jury. Fidler’s remarks came from a bizarre allegation made by former Spector lawyer, Robert Shapiro’s defense team members. The allegation is that Dr. Lee located and destroyed physical evidence at Phil Spectpr’s home. Shapiro was fired by Spector, and I can only conclude this effort to smear Dr. Lee is fallout from the Shapiro/Spector dispute. If that’s the case it’s an outrageous and unlawful act by Shapiro’s camp. Judge Fidler should have considered the vendetta and source of this garbage before he opened his big mouth. The prosecution has zero evidence that would show Spector fired the gun inside Lana Clarkso...

Limo driver Adriano DeSouza described the Colt Cobra accurately. He said it was a black gun with brown grips. But it was not in Phil Spector’s hand in this exact pose DeSouza demonstrated in court as he’s claimed. If this Colt Cobra revolver was in Spector’s hand DeSouza would have never even seen the grips. This startled limo driver simply assumed the gun was in Spector’s hand. If Adriano DeSouza really believes his own story we can only suspect in all the excitement his assumptions became his own reality. When police found Clarkson and the gun this is what they saw. The brown grips are clearly visible on this gun at Clarkson’e feet. It’s uncontested that DeSouza saw Clarkson slumped in the chair as this photo reveals.

Limo driver Adriano Desouza is not so dumb. He’s an illegal alien that knew full well that if he was needed as a witness by the government that would buy him time and perhaps a Green Card. Giving the government what it wants has prevented Desouza’s deportation. Adriano Desouza’s direct testimony reveals that he is also clairvoyant. Prosecutor Alan Jackson asked Desouza to describe the gun Spector was holding. “A black gun with brown grips”, he said. The problem is the grips on this little gun (old model, Colt Cobra, D frame revolver) can’t be seen when someone is holding the gun by the grip! I hope Spector’s defense team noticed this obvious lie and feed the lie back to Adriano Desouza during Cross-examination. Update: To clear up confusion the Limo driver said under direct trial testimony, and to police early on that he saw Spector holding the gun in the exact pose he demonstrated in court. I have recreated that pose in this picture. The gun (Colt Cobra) is very small and t...

No, I still don’t know what sparked this wild mess. The news here for Howard Morgan is not good. A Chicago jury voted 11-1 for conviction on the most serious charges. Racially charged cases seem to end in acquittal if the cops were White and the defendant Black. Here the jury must have found compelling evidence that Morgan tried to unlawfully open fire on uniformed cops after a minor traffic violation. Morgan can count on being retried and barring some new evidence for the defense it looks like a long prison sentence for Morgan is in the cards. Howard Morgan needs to fold his cards and get the best deal he can get. Whatever happens now won’t be pretty. Emotions have run very high on this tale of extreme violence and accusations. For my merely asking questions about what happened on this blog I’ve received a few very offensive anonymous comments that had to be deleted because of the language alone. I hope they did not come from cops. I never took sides on this story because I...

I may not be a fan of Ms. Couric but I will never characterize her as a failure. Her CBS venture is now in a distant third place. Couric has simply been miscast in her new role as a nightly news anchor. She does not fit into the evening news. I’ve been no stranger to TV news rooms as I’m frequently called out to assist both networks and local affiliates on thousands of new stories over the years. I function as an investigative producer even though I did not choose that road in life. I was drafted into TV news some 19 years ago. I tell you this so you know where my opinion came from. The Today Show became a entertainment product for mostly women and as a result was loaded with estrogen. The Today Show was and is filled with opinion both overt and covert with a Left Wing flavor. Katie was always seen gushing over the Clintons and politely interacting with Conservative politicians. Couric made no secret of her hatred for American gun rights while supporting many liberal causes...