Our old friend Larry Paul Fidler, the judge who oversaw that rather lurid Phil Spector murder trial last year, has rejected a motion put forward by the legendary music producer's new legal team to have him disqualified from overseeing the planned retrial.
As much previously reported, Spector is accused of killing former actress Lana Clarkson at his Beverly Hills mansion back in February 2003. After a long trial last year the jury hearing the case reached deadlock leading to a mistrial. The prosecution promptly announced it would proceed with a retrial, though that has been delayed because Spector had to appoint a brand new defence team, who have needed some time to prepare.
One of the new defence team's first actions was to file the motion requesting Fidler not be allowed to act as judge on the retrial on the basis that he is prejudiced against the producer, that he had shown bias to the prosecution during the first trial, and that he was known to be keen to see a conviction in this case to prove to the general public that millionaire celebrities can be convicted by the Californian courts. But the judge last week denied that was the case, adding that if Spector's legal people had any grievances with the way he managed the first trial they should have raised them at the time.
Spector's new legal rep Doron Weinberg says he will appeal Fidler's response to his motion and seek to have the matter reviewed by an independent judge. No date has been set for the retrial, though a hearing to discuss possible dates is expected later this week.