Verdict Nears for PI and Lawyer Charged in Celebrity Wiretapping Case
This spring’s trial of a so-called private investigator to the stars, who was accused of wiretapping courtroom opponents of the well-to-do and celebrity clients for whom he worked, was high-profile.
But now a second celebrity wiretapping case against Anthony Pellicano, 64, is nearing a conclusion with far less media hoopla. In this case, he and Terry Christensen, also 64, a California lawyer who retained him, are charged with conspiring to wiretap the former wife of Kirk Kerkorian, a billionaire investor. The attorney allegedly paid Pellicano about $100,000 to wiretap Kerkorian’s ex, Lisa Bonder Kerkorian, in 2002, during a bitter child support dispute, recounts the Los Angeles Daily News in a recap of wire service news.
Both Kerkorian, 91, and Christensen’s defense team contend that they knew nothing of any illegal wiretapping activity, and the alleged wiretapped recordings were never found, according to the Associated Press and a Los Angeles Times article about the trial’s impact on the legal profession’s use of private investigators.
Pellicano, who was convicted of wiretapping and racketeering in the earlier case, is representing himself; Christensen is being defended by his Century City law partner Patricia Glaser. They made their closing arguments yesterday, and the prosecution is scheduled to give its rebuttal today.
If the two men are convicted in the federal case, they could be sentenced to as much as 10 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
Earlier coverage:
Los Angeles Times: “Kirk Kerkorian denies knowing whether ex-wife was wiretapped”
ABAJournal.com: “Did Lawyer in Wiretap Case Hear Opposing Counsel’s Talks With Client?”
ABAJournal.com: “As Lawyer Faces Trial in Wiretap Case, Others Advised to Watch PIs”
