The Phil Spector Trial: We Watch Court TV So You Don't Have To (07/25)

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY? With one of the jurors unable to attend in the morning and the prosecution having rested its case on Monday, the defense filed an 1118 motion, which is legal speak for ending a trial due to a prosecution's lack of evidence. It took a whole five seconds for Judge Fidler to decide that the charges would not be dismissed, nor would they be lessened to a lower degree of manslaughter. When the full jury arrived in the afternoon, indie-film producer Gregory Sims -- who was so reluctant to testify that he had to be subpoenaed -- took the stand to reminisce about that time Lana Clarkson got drunk at a party and told him she hated all the "motherfuckers in Hollywood."

IS THIS GOOD OR BAD FOR SPECTOR? Bad. The judge obviously thinks the prosecution has made a good enough case to not throw out the charges. Furthermore, Sims, whose appearance completely took the prosecution by surprise, did little to promote the defense's theory that Clarkson committed suicide.

MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE OF COURT: Transformers director Michael Bay is angry that his name has been dragged into this trial. The defense claims Clarkson killed herself because she was snubbed by Bay at a party. Bay, however, doesn't recall meeting Clarkson at any party, and went on to say Spector looks like "a creepy murderer."

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Song Stories

“Oh Sherrie”

Steve Perry | 1984

Steve Perry's girlfriend Sherrie Swafford was actually in the studio when Perry began writing this song--his lone Top Ten hit as a solo act--with two co-writers. The trio began at midnight one night with just "Oh, Sherrie!" and "hold on, hold on." Three hours later, they had a complete song. Swafford, however, had to wait until the next day to hear it. "Sherrie actually got tired and went to bed," Perry said. She also appeared in the video, but their relationship did not hold on for long.

More Song Stories entries »

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