Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar
Member
Phil Spector Loses Bid To Delay Civil Case Until Criminal Case Ends
POSTED: 12:28 pm PDT May 12, 2006
UPDATED: 12:59 pm PDT May 12, 2006
LOS ANGELES -- Record producer and accused killer Phil Spector lost a bid Friday to have civil proceedings involving his former business manager and personal assistant delayed until his criminal case is completed.
Spector, 66, is awaiting trial -- currently set for next January -- on a murder charge stemming from the Feb. 3, 2003, shooting death of 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lee Smalley Edmon ruled that since Spector was the one who brought the lawsuit against former business associate Michelle Blaine of Costa Mesa, he now has to live with that decision and its potential adverse consequences.
"The judge said that Mr. Spector can't have his cake and eat it, too," Blaine's lawyer, Timothy Reuben, said outside the courtroom.
Spector sued Blaine last September for allegedly embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his personal bank accounts. On March 24, she filed a cross-complaint alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Blaine is the daughter Hal Blaine, who was a studio drummer on many of Spector's recordings when he was at the height of his career in the 1960s with his "wall of sound" music technique.
Spector, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, produced such classic hits as "Be My Baby," "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling."
As his personal assistant, Blaine's duties for Spector included buying him groceries, arranging his travel plans and making sure he had daily car service, according to her court documents.
Her court papers also state she was the first person to visit him in jail after his arrest. He was later released on $1 million bail.
Blaine claims she also helped spread through the media a speculative report -- started on a Los Angeles radio station -- on the possibility that Clarkson might have shot herself accidentally -- a theory the prosecution rejected, her court documents state.
Spector once asked Blaine to marry him so she could be prevented from testifying against him in the criminal case, her court papers state. Blaine claims she rejected the alleged proposal.
Spector's lawyers, Barak Vaughn and Richard Arshonsky, argued that with the filing of Blaine's cross-complaint, the district attorney's office could get information for the criminal case that it might not otherwise be able to obtain.
Spector's lawyers said prosecutors have already given Blaine a game plan and are waiting to see what information she obtains for her case that can be helpful in the criminal matter.
Spector's right against self-incrimination outweighs any economic benefits that could arise out of the civil matters, his attorneys argued.
But Edmon said Spector has another avenue available to avoid his predicament, other than a stay of the proceedings.
"There is no question the civil discovery will be accessible to the district attorney, but the civil case can be dismissed," Edmon said.
Spector's civil suit against Blaine states that she worked "as an agent and fiduciary on plaintiff's behalf in connection with his financial affairs for approximately the past four years."
According to the suit, Spector found out about the alleged theft of his money last September and confronted Blaine. She admitted that she and her son spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of the plaintiff's money, but promised to pay it back, his suit alleges.
Spector alleges he then found out from his accountants that Blaine had transferred $425,000 from his pension plan to companies she co-operates.
Blaine has denied the theft allegations.
Spector wants unspecified actual, compensatory, economic, consequential and exemplary damages.
A May 24 hearing is scheduled before Edmon on a motion by Blaine and her lawyer to take a deposition of Spector
POSTED: 12:28 pm PDT May 12, 2006
UPDATED: 12:59 pm PDT May 12, 2006
LOS ANGELES -- Record producer and accused killer Phil Spector lost a bid Friday to have civil proceedings involving his former business manager and personal assistant delayed until his criminal case is completed.
Spector, 66, is awaiting trial -- currently set for next January -- on a murder charge stemming from the Feb. 3, 2003, shooting death of 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson at his Alhambra mansion.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lee Smalley Edmon ruled that since Spector was the one who brought the lawsuit against former business associate Michelle Blaine of Costa Mesa, he now has to live with that decision and its potential adverse consequences.
"The judge said that Mr. Spector can't have his cake and eat it, too," Blaine's lawyer, Timothy Reuben, said outside the courtroom.
Spector sued Blaine last September for allegedly embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from his personal bank accounts. On March 24, she filed a cross-complaint alleging sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Blaine is the daughter Hal Blaine, who was a studio drummer on many of Spector's recordings when he was at the height of his career in the 1960s with his "wall of sound" music technique.
Spector, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, produced such classic hits as "Be My Baby," "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling."
As his personal assistant, Blaine's duties for Spector included buying him groceries, arranging his travel plans and making sure he had daily car service, according to her court documents.
Her court papers also state she was the first person to visit him in jail after his arrest. He was later released on $1 million bail.
Blaine claims she also helped spread through the media a speculative report -- started on a Los Angeles radio station -- on the possibility that Clarkson might have shot herself accidentally -- a theory the prosecution rejected, her court documents state.
Spector once asked Blaine to marry him so she could be prevented from testifying against him in the criminal case, her court papers state. Blaine claims she rejected the alleged proposal.
Spector's lawyers, Barak Vaughn and Richard Arshonsky, argued that with the filing of Blaine's cross-complaint, the district attorney's office could get information for the criminal case that it might not otherwise be able to obtain.
Spector's lawyers said prosecutors have already given Blaine a game plan and are waiting to see what information she obtains for her case that can be helpful in the criminal matter.
Spector's right against self-incrimination outweighs any economic benefits that could arise out of the civil matters, his attorneys argued.
But Edmon said Spector has another avenue available to avoid his predicament, other than a stay of the proceedings.
"There is no question the civil discovery will be accessible to the district attorney, but the civil case can be dismissed," Edmon said.
Spector's civil suit against Blaine states that she worked "as an agent and fiduciary on plaintiff's behalf in connection with his financial affairs for approximately the past four years."
According to the suit, Spector found out about the alleged theft of his money last September and confronted Blaine. She admitted that she and her son spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of the plaintiff's money, but promised to pay it back, his suit alleges.
Spector alleges he then found out from his accountants that Blaine had transferred $425,000 from his pension plan to companies she co-operates.
Blaine has denied the theft allegations.
Spector wants unspecified actual, compensatory, economic, consequential and exemplary damages.
A May 24 hearing is scheduled before Edmon on a motion by Blaine and her lawyer to take a deposition of Spector
