Try not to be too shocked. Despite the majority of the producer's legal team quitting the case, Judge Fidler has given Phil Spector just less than three weeks to assemble a new legal team for his second trial. The first trial, which was declared a mistrial last week, lasted six months before ending in a deadlocked jury.
Roger J. Rosen, Linda Kenney Baden and Bradley Brunon will all be leaving the defense team, though in court today, they all said it would take "at least six months" for a new team to adaquately prepare their defense.
Christopher J. Plourd and Dennis Riordan said they would stay on the team, depending on whether or not the new legal team Spector assembles for the second trial.
It has since come out that the deadlocked jury was actually tilted in favor of convicting Phil Spector -- but those who held out mainatined they were not convinced beyond reasonable doubt that Lana Clarkson didn't shoot herself, as the defense maintained. Jurors who elected to speak to the media felt the jurors who held out were swayed by the prosecution's fight against creating a psychological profile of the struggling actress.
This could be key in the upcoming trial, which Judge Fidler would like to see underway in four months, maximum, as it may change how both the defense and the prosecution handle Lana Clarkson's mental state and private life in the weeks and months leading up to her death.
Is this good or bad for Phil Spector? At this point... I don't think anyone can answer.
I say they should just go with the Chewbacca Defense and be done with the whole thing.
