Phil Spector's defence team lost a number of pre-trial motions on Tuesday, ahead of the producer's retrial for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson.
The judge rejected the lawyers' claims that Spector would fall foul of 'double jeopardy' if he was also tried for the lesser crimes of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter, as well as murder. In the previous trial, which, of course, ended in a mistrial, these lesser crimes were not considered due to lack of evidence. I'm not sure how there can be insufficient evidence to try someone for manslaughter but enough to slap them with a murder charge, but that's what happened. Judge Fidler said: "I don't believe this is a double jeopardy matter".
He also refused to exclude the video evidence of a witness who has since died. The prosecution requested to use the televised version of Dianne Ogden's testimony in the original trial. However, the judge pointed out that he had not yet decided if the testimony of five other women who say Spector threatened them with guns would be allowed in the new trial and the video would be excluded if those witnesses were not admitted.
There will be another pre-trial hearing on 14 Aug.