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Music legend Phil Spector’s second murder trial hit a bump on its second day. Actually, an alternate juror stumbled and reportedly broke his foot in the parking lot of a Downtown Los Angeles court Thursday morning. The prosecution had been scheduled to call witnesses yesterday, but Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler decided to delay the trial until Monday.
The 68-year-old Spector is being retried in the death of actress Lana Clarkson. The 40-year-old actress was found shot to death in the hallway of Spector’s Alhambra mansion back in February of 2003.
In his opening statement on Wednesday, defense attorney Doron Weinberg argued Clarkson committed suicide. On the other side, prosecutor Alan Jackson claims Spector shot Clarkson, with a .38 Special pistol, for refusing his sexual advances.
Spector’s first murder trial, 13 months ago, ended with a jury deadlocked 10-2 for conviction. If he’s found guilty of second degree murder, Spector faces a prison term of at least 18 years.
Back in the 1960s, Spector became famous as a music producer for his full-bodied, hard rocking “Wall of Sound” technique heard on classics like “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes. The technique has been used by artists like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, and Mariah Carey.
