Music producer Phil Spector has hired a lawyer who previously worked for mob boss John Gotti. He has appointed lawyer Bruce Cutler to defend him on those murder charges after his original lawyer resigned from the case.
Spector's former legal representative Leslie Abramson told reporters that she had indeed resigned as Spector's attorneys but said she had been taken by surprise when Cutler took over the case while Abramson was out of the country. Talking to the Associated Press Abramson she was vague on her reasons for quitting, simply saying: "We were forced to resign. If we wanted to be ethical and competent, we had to resign."
Cutler said he has known Spector for a long time and had signed on as his personal attorney before Abramson took over the criminal case. He said: "I was engaged as Phillip's attorney and confidante last January. Leslie and Marcia were brought on in February, and they quit in July. They just jumped ship, and I had to take control of the ship and bring it into port."