Jury selected for Phil Spector's murder retrial
Jury selected for retrial of Phil Spector, set to begin later this month
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Friday, 24, Oct 2008 05:29
A jury has been selected for the retrial of Phil Spector, who is accused of shooting actress Lana Clarkson at his home five years ago.
Six alternate jury members will also be selected in preparation for the trial, which begins later this month.
A Los Angeles judge presiding over the murder case of the legendary producer declared a mistrial last year after jurors failed to agree on a verdict.
Jurors were split ten to two and were unable to conclude whether Spector is guilty of second degree murder. Media sources reported at the time that the majority of jurors were in favour of convicting the pioneering record maker.
Seven men and five women have been named on the jury for the new trial, which is expected to last until January.
Spector is accused of shooting Ms Clarkson in his Alhambra mansion in 2003, just hours after meeting her at the House of Blues on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip, where she worked as a hostess.
The 66-year-old producer had three legal teams during the first trial, after he fired his first and the second resigned.
His need for a new team for the second trial came after his leading lawyer Roger Rosen stepped down - along with two other colleagues - to work for other clients.
"Of course now [Spector] is faced with this ordeal all over again and I'm sure from that point of view he's not happy," Mr Rosen told reporters when the retrial was announced last year.
During the trial the prosecution argued that Spector had shot dead actress Lana Clarkson at his home, while the defence contended that she had committed suicide at the producer's property.
Spector faces a minimum of 15 years in jail if found guilty.