Suspect's Lawyer in Letterman Case Does Talk Shows, Says Client Lacked Intent
Celebrity lawyer Gerald Shargel, who is representing a CBS News producer accused of attempting to extort $2 million from David Letterman, did the rounds this morning on network television shows.
His client, he says, is a sophisticated, award-winning crime journalist–who accepted a $2 million check in what is now being characterized as a shake-down effort. This fact alone, Shargel contends, shows that defendant Robert “Joe” Halderman, who pleaded not guilty Friday in a Manhattan court, didn’t have the requisite criminal intent, reports the New York Post:
“I think, at the end of the day, when the case is tried and after the cross-examination of David Letterman and the full story comes out, I’m confident that a jury will not find that specific criminal intent,” says Shargel.
Simply depositing the $2 million check “was not illegal,” adds Shargel, in a Good Morning America interview, reports the Show Tracker blog of the Los Angeles Times.
“The surrounding circumstances are what’s relevant. The surrounding circumstances will reveal what Mr. Halderman’s intent was.”
Additional coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “David Letterman’s Lawyer Wore Wire to Get Evidence re Alleged Extortion Attempt”
E! Online: “Letterman, the ‘Master Manipulator’–Does Dave Want His Apology Erased?”
Updated at 11:57 a.m. to include information from Los Angeles Times and link to E! Online Post.
