The Case of a Shattered Windshield, a Dead Fish and a Rose Moves Forward... Sorta

Paul Kiesel — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:12:53 GMT

Imprisoned former celebrity P.I. Anthony Pellicano and a man he allegedly hired to threaten former entertainment business journalist Anita Busch (then working as a contract employee for the Los Angeles Times) have pleaded not guilty to two felony charges. Pellicano, who is representing himself, and Alexander Frederick Proctor are expected back in court June 25th for a status conference. A preliminary hearing has been tentatively set for June 29th.

And...

From the Los Angeles Times:

Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano and his alleged hired hand, Alexander Proctor, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges that they threatened reporter Anita Busch in 2002 to scare her off a story.

Pellicano and Proctor, both 65, were charged four years ago in the threat on Busch's life. Busch, who was then working for the Los Angeles Times, found the fish with a rose in its mouth on the broken windshield of her car along with a sign reading "Stop," court documents allege. The windshield was punctured and made to appear like a bullet hole, prosecutors wrote in the complaint against the two men.

Los Angeles County district attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison said the case was called for arraignment this week because Proctor, who is serving a 10-year sentence on an unrelated federal drug conviction, made a demand for a speedy trial. Pellicano, who is acting as his own attorney, as he did in his two federal criminal trials, showed up in court wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and a pair of sunglasses because of an eye condition, Robison said.

The case against Pellicano and Proctor was put on hold while the closely watched federal trial against Pellicano and his accomplices moved through the courts. At the conclusion of that trial in December, Pellicano was sentenced to 15 years in prison on a long list of federal wiretapping and racketeering charges. Both Pellicano and Proctor were transferred to state custody for their arraignment.

It was the threat against Busch that triggered the unraveling of Pellicano's investigations business. Proctor told an FBI informant that he had been hired by Pellicano to threaten Busch; based on that statement, authorities obtained a warrant to raid the investigator's Sunset Boulevard office. There, they found the extensive computer files that led to a wide-reaching grand jury investigation into Pellicano's illegal wiretapping enterprise.

Authorities initially charged Proctor in federal court, but dropped the charges after determining they did not have jurisdiction. State prosecutors took over the case and charged Proctor in 2003 with making a criminal threat. They filed an additional case in 2005 charging Pellicano with conspiracy and making a criminal threat, and Proctor with an additional conspiracy count.

If convicted, the men face maximum sentences of three years. They were ordered back in court June 25, Robison said.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Kiesel

Hollywood Film Director Indicted on Counts Related to Pellicano Case

Paul Kiesel — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:24:37 GMT

From the Los Angeles Times: A Hollywood film director who pleaded guilty three years ago to lying to the FBI in connection with the Anthony Pellicano investigation, then withdrew his plea, was indicted Friday by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles.

John McTiernan faces two counts of making false statements to federal agents and one count of perjury for a statement to a federal judge while seeking to withdraw his plea, federal authorities said. McTiernan, who directed the action thriller "Die Hard," was one of seven people who pleaded guilty to charges connected to the Pellicano case before it went to trial last year. Before he was sentenced, McTiernan asked the judge to allow him to withdraw his plea, arguing that he would not have agreed to plead guilty if his attorney at the time had given him better legal advice.

The judge denied the request, but McTiernan filed an appeal with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ordered the lower court to hold a hearing to consider the director's request. The court ultimately granted the request after the U.S. attorney's office said it did not oppose withdrawal of the plea.

Friday's indictment contains the charges to which McTiernan had earlier agreed to plead guilty, as well as a new charge of lying in court proceedings, in which he sought to change his plea, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Daniel Saunders.

McTiernan's attorney, S. Todd Neal, questioned prosecutors' motives in adding the new charge.

"There seems to be retribution because John refused to play ball the way the prosecutors wanted and because we were successful on appeal," Neal said. "We will vigorously defend this case."

Pellicano was convicted of wiretapping producer Charles Roven on McTiernan's behalf. During the job, the private detective complained -- in a taped phone conversation in 2000 -- about having to listen to a huge volume of calls to get useful information.

"You can't have the thing on there listening for particular words or names?" asked McTiernan.

"Nah, nah, nah," Pellicano said. "That's in the movies."

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Paul Kiesel

Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyer - Wiretapping

The Case of a Shattered Windshield, a Dead Fish and a Rose Moves Forward... Sorta

Hollywood Film Director Indicted on Counts Related to Pellicano Case