Murder case trial procedures and outcomes

Murder Trial of Phil Spector

In the 1960s, Phil Spector achieved legendary status as the visionary behind countless pop music classics. The famed 'Wall of Sound' produces helped to create immortal hits with girl groups like the Crystals and the Ronettes. But he achieved a different kind of notoriety when his oft-acknowledged erratic behavior and affection for firearms culminated in the 2003 death of Lana Clarkson. The actress, whose body was found in the foyer of Spector's California home, was found to have been shot by the increasingly psychologically unsound pop music producer.

When the smoke had cleared from his arrest, according to CNN, suicide had been ruled out. This would leave Spector to stand on trial for the murder of the 40-year-old actress. The charge of murder is defined as the act of purposefully taking the life of another human being by non-accidental action. In the case of Spector, reports indicate, the charge of second-degree murder was brought to bear. Second-degree murder is defined as the act of murder without premeditation, aforethought or otherwise aggravated circumstances. The charge would be brought about by Spector based on circumstances which suggested the incident may have occurred in the heat of confrontation between the suspect and victim.

Due to the circumstantial nature of some evidence and the fact of Spector's declining psychological state during the course of the trial, a mistrial would be declared in 2007. The article by Glaister (2009) offers some assessment for why this occurred, suggesting that the focus of the prosecution was slightly off-the-mark. According to Glaister, "while the first trial was dominated by forensics and the finer points on how blood spatters, the rerun came down to an elaborate game of did he, didn't he, involving meditations on memory, suggestibility and English language proficiency." (Glaister, p. 1)

Based on the testimony of Spector's stand-in chauffeur for the evening, the prosecution was ultimately capable of building a damning case against Spector, placing the producer as having been the last person to see Clarkson alive, as having consumed an excessive amount of alcohol on the evening in question and as having exhibited a long and disturbing history of exactly the kind of behavior which ultimately resulted in Clarkson's death.

One of the more compelling aspects of the prosecution's case was to call to the stand a host of women who had interacted with Phil Spector across recent years. Most testified that the murder of Clarkson was ultimately consistent with the type of behavior exhibited by Spector. According to Glaister, "a parade of women at both trials described how Spector had turned from charm to menace, often fueled by alcohol and medication. His penchant for waving guns in people's faces, they recounted, suggested an accident waiting to happen." (Glaister, p. 1)