The Phil Spector Trial: Deadlocked!

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WHAT HAPPENED TODAY? After deliberations that stretched for more than thirty hours over the course of seven days, Phil Spector and his defense, as well as the prosecution were all called to court because the jurors had come to a decision: They're hung. In a note they passed to the judge, the jury indicated they have "reached an impasse. We do not feel we can reach an unanimous [verdict]." The judge then began questioning each juror individually to figure out whether this jury can eventually come to a guilty or non-guilty verdict, or if this stonewall is permanent. To try to help matters, Judge Fidler is wrestling with the idea of reopening summations to reintroduce a possible manslaughter charge. Currently, the jurors are split 7-5, but which side has majority was not revealed.

IS THIS GOOD OR BAD FOR SPECTOR? Good. It's hard to believe anyone in Camp Spector actually believed the jury would find their client unanimously innocent, so the jury's impasse comes as a relief to the defense. The hung jury/possible manslaughter charge ensures Spector will either drag the State of California through another lengthy court battle (and correct the errors his team made in this trial), or face lesser charges. Unfortunately for the defense, Judge Filder denied a motion for an immediate mistrial.

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Song Stories

“He Will Break Your Heart”

Jerry Butler | 1960

A lightly swinging Latin-influenced, almost cha-cha groove and close harmonies decorated Jerry Butler's early soul hit "He Will Break Your Heart," delivering a stately warning that his rival would never love his girl like he did. The melody came to Butler as he was driving on the highway from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Philadelphia with Curtis Mayfield, and as Butler told Rolling Stone, "I just sang the melody and Curtis put the chords to it." The song's premise, Butler added, "was something that I'd lived ...The lyric was an experience rather than a revelation. Whereas music is usually a revelation."

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