Politics

O'Donnell's heavy hitters *

That must have been some hearing in Superior Court yesterday over the DA's money-laundering case against trial attorney Pierce O'Donnell. The Daily Journal (sub req'd) wrote that "the hearing was packed with some of the state's most renowned defense attorneys," and staff writers for both the Times and Daily News covered the proceedings. Lawyers for O'Donnell argued that the misdemeanor charges of hiding $25,000 in contributions to Mayor Hahn's 2001 election campaign should be dismissed on various grounds. The judge sounded skeptical of the charges and said she would rule Feb. 10, the stories say. Prosecutors argued that the case against O'Donnell, and separate charges against friends and colleagues for aiding and abetting, are sound. The Daily Journal had previously reported that prosecutors are pressuring O'Donnell to implicate Hahn or someone high in the campaign hierarchy.

Lana ClarksonAlso in the DJ: Lana Clarkson's mother is set to file a wrongful-death lawsuit today against Phil Spector, the paper says in a "the Daily Journal has learned" front-pager. The suit will say that Spector grabbed, hit, restrained and gunned down Clarkson and that she lived for awhile after being shot. I don't read the Journal often enough to know if this is the first time the word fucking has appeared on its front page (in a quote from Spector.) The story is by Blair Clarkson, and I'll assume no relation to Lana and Donna Clarkson.

* I should point out: Actually the Daily Journal is online for subscribers, who also pay for access to various legal databases. It's $79 a month or $628 a year.


More by Kevin Roderick:
Standing up to Harvey Weinstein
The Media
LA Times gets a top editor with nothing but questions
LA Observed Notes: Harvey Weinstein stripped bare
LA Observed Notes: Photos of the homeless, photos that found homes
Recent Politics stories on LA Observed:
David Ryu and candidate Mike Fong
Tronc buys (NY) Daily News, La Tuna fire aftermath and more
Helping in Houston, new lion cubs, Garcetti's back
Garcetti has weekend date in the Hamptons
Garcetti hitting the road to New Hampshire
LA Confederate monument coming down
LA Observed Notes: Back from vacation and into the fray
Rendon fights for neglected Southeast


 

LA Observed on Twitter